If Only
by Elidi
Summary: AU "If only I'd known you when my daughter was taken from me." But the balance of power must always be maintained, and one altered event may change the destiny of an Empire… Plz R&R *REVISED THRU CHAPTER 5*
1. Prologue

Author's note: Good morning, everyone! We have updates! I've made some revisions to the original chapters, so I've posted revisions up through Chapter 2. 3 thru 5 will hopefully go up some time next week, and then (depending on my beta) 2 – count 'em! – 2 new chapters! (And there was much rejoicing!) In truth, I'd hoped to have these chapters done 6 months ago, but 2 long illnesses and a new kitten later... well, better late than never.

In the meantime, I want to thank everyone who's reviewed and/or added me to their favorites during my long absences. Those notices always make me grin, even when I feel like crap. Thanks! :)

And now, on with the show...

* * *

Disclaimer: _Jade Empire_ belongs to Bioware, but if they wanted to give it to me I certainly wouldn't turn it down.

_**Prologue**_

Nestled in the quiet town of Two Rivers, the school was a beautiful, serene place. Small wooden buildings and open air pavilions surrounded a small training arena that was central to the school's purpose. Students sat nearby, absorbed in their studies, or practiced their movements in the shade of the trees. And in the arena, a young man and woman engaged in a friendly sparring match.

The visitor watched them for a long moment. The boy performed adequately, but was nothing special. The girl, on the other hand, was a superb fighter. She moved with the fluid grace of a dancer and struck each blow with precision born of a lifetime of training. Although she couldn't be more than 18 years old, she was more skilled than most warriors twice her age.

The fact that she was more skilled than the majority of his personal guards only helped fuel the anger that had brought him here.

Gao the Greater scowled and allowed his gaze to wander in search of his son. Young Gao's most recent letter had concerned him greatly. His son was furious over Master Li's obvious favoritism towards some orphan girl and claimed that his education was lacking as a result. Gao the Greater had no doubt he meant the girl in the ring; she fit the description perfectly: small and thin, black hair pulled back into a simple bun at the nape of her neck, and dressed in dark blue silk with gold accents.

He couldn't deny that the girl was talented, but it was no excuse for neglecting his son's training. He had sent young Gao to this school purposely so that his education would be accelerated. The Black Leopard School in the Imperial City had become so mired in politics and scheming that receiving proper martial training had become almost impossible. He had been certain that sending his son to this quaint little school at the edge of the Jade Empire was the perfect solution, only to be saddled with yet another unaccommodating master.

And so he had been forced to leave his fortress near Tien's Landing and come deal with the situation in person. Everyone had a price, and he was willing to pay anything to see that young Gao had the best martial instruction possible.

He spotted his son limping down a hill ahead of another boy. Both were sporting bruises that suggested they had been sparring, and clearly his son had not been the victor. Gao frowned. This was unacceptable. His son was strong and able to harness his chi to create powerful magical effects; there was no reason he should be losing to this boy, let alone that slip of a girl in the arena.

Gao knew the moment his son spotted him. The boy paused, straightening his posture with a grimace and forcing himself not to limp. His son turned and walked to him, careful not to let on that he was in pain. Gao smiled faintly at the show of strength.

"Father," Gao the Lesser greeted him, bowing slightly. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"Well, I was concerned by your last letter, my son. I decided it was best to deal with your Master Li in person."

Young Gao smiled darkly. "It's about time someone put that old man in his place. If he didn't spend so much time coddling _her,_ he would have many promising students instead of just one."

Gao listened to his son's tirade in silence, his eyes drifting back to the arena. "That's her?" he asked, nodding to the girl in blue.

"Yes, Father. Master Li's little lapdog. His prize pupil. The senior student. You should see the way he fawns over her. It's disgusting."

Elder Gao nodded thoughtfully. "Where can I find your master?" His son pointed to a modest house that overlooked the training arena. "Return to your studies, son. I will speak to your Master Li."

Young Gao bowed. "Yes, Father. Maybe then I can finally get some education at this school."

He took a moment to watch his son walk away before turning his rotund form toward Master Li's house. It was a modest building, and from what he could see through the open screens, Li had little in the way of personal possessions. That could work against him. If this master felt he had no need of personal wealth, purchasing his cooperation would be difficult.

Gao sighed; such high-minded individuals annoyed him. What was the use of duty and honor if one couldn't afford to eat? If the man wasn't such a brilliant teacher he'd remove his son from the school on principle.

Gao marched up the steps with purpose; this Master Li needed to understand that he was used to being obeyed. Defiance would not be tolerated.

But as he caught sight of the famed master, he abruptly halted. Recognition surged through him, followed quickly by disbelief. He had aged, certainly. The years had lined his face and turned his beard and topknot white, and there was a long scar that began just below his right eye and disappeared into his beard, but there was no mistaking him.

The Glorious Strategist.

He had only seen Sun Li once, decades ago at a function in the Imperial City, but no one who had met the man would ever forget him. His very presence seemed to exude power, to command respect. And although he was dressed in the simple, unadorned garments of a peasant rather than the armor of the leader of the Imperial Army, there was no mistaking him.

Gao instantly composed himself and made a decision. With a look of arrogant condescension he said, "You are Master Li?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "I am Gao the Greater. I've come to speak with you about my son's schooling."

"Of course," the old man replied in a quiet, cultured voice. "May I offer you some tea?"

"No tea. I wish to know why my son's instruction is being delayed."

"It is not being delayed," Li answered calmly.

"Then how do you explain the fact that you are instructing some peasant girl in advanced techniques while my Gao is left studying basic styles."

"Martial skill cannot be forced. Each student here studies at his or her own pace, and I instruct them in styles they have the skill to master. You son has neither the focus nor the self-control to learn the styles I am teaching the senior student."

"How dare you!" Gao's anger flared; the man's perfect serenity as he detailed young Gao's flaws was infuriating. "That girl has received preferential treatment and my son has suffered for it. I will not allow him to be a victim of your obvious favoritism any longer!"

"Your son is a victim of his own petty ambition and predictable temper, nothing more."

Any doubts he might have had about exposing the man for what he was died in the wake of his fury. "You will accelerate my son's training or I will remove him from this school and my house will have no more business here!"

"You are free to do as you see fit," Master Li replied evenly, "but your son will do little better elsewhere. True skill cannot be bought."

Gao's eyes widened at the blatant insult, and he had to forcibly restrain himself from assaulting the man. Turning on his heel, he marched out of the house, roughly pushing aside the student walking up the steps. Li's arrogance was astounding, but he would have the last laugh.

He crossed the lawn to where his son was practicing his movements. "Go collect your possessions, son. We're leaving."

Gao the Lesser blinked in surprise and opened his mouth to speak, but his father's frown silenced him. With a simple bow, he turned and headed for the dormitory.

This insult could not go unanswered. He would show Master Li that he was not a man to be trifled with.

He would take his son from this place and then Sun Li would feel his wrath.

* * *

Master Li knelt on the floor of his home, meditating on his encounter with Gao the Greater. The man had recognized him; there was no doubt in his mind. He had seen the flicker of recognition in his eyes. He vaguely wondered when they had met, but in the end, it was inconsequential.

He had always known this day would come; he just hadn't expected it so soon. Still, he had planned for every contingency. The only question that remained was whether his pupil was ready for the destiny that was about to be laid before her.

Li rose and stood in the doorway, looking out at the practice arena. He didn't think she was ready. She was skilled, certainly, the most talented fighter he had ever trained, just as he had intended her to be. But the fact remained that she was barely 18 years old. She would be forced to confront evils that no one else had, that no one else could. And it was not a challenge she was ready to face.

On the other hand, sometimes experience was the best teacher. Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise. It could prove a useful opportunity to accelerate her training. And the sooner she was prepared for the destiny that awaited her, the better off the Jade Empire would be.

"Master," a voice said, pulling him from his thoughts.

He turned to the boy. "Yes, Jing Woo, what is it?"

"Master, Merchant Fen Do asked me to tell you that the items you ordered have arrived."

Master Li smiled; yes, this could prove to be quite a blessing indeed. "Thank you, Woo; you may go. And if you have a moment, please ask Lienn to come see me."


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: _Jade Empire_ belongs to Bioware, but if they wanted to give it to me I certainly wouldn't turn it down.

_**Chapter 1**_

Lienn walked briskly up the steps to Master Li's house. He was kneeling on the floor, eyes closed in meditation. "You sent for me, Master?

The old man's eyes opened and he gazed up at her serenely. "Ah, you're here, my student. Come sit with me." She knelt before him and he smiled fondly, as a father might; he was the only parent she had ever known. "I watched your training session earlier with great pride," Master Li said. "You are my finest pupil, though you came to me an orphan…" He noticed the hint of a frown that marred her brow and guessed its cause. "I know I have kept much from you, but you must trust that it is for your safety."

"Safety from what, Master?"

"You will understand soon enough. I do not have all the answers, but I know that you will become important to the fates of many. I have done my best to prepare you for the responsibility your skills will bring, but soon you will be called upon to face a great evil."

Lienn sighed, knowing that she would not get any other answer; they'd had this discussion often enough in the past. She knew her master only wanted to protect her, but to say it was frustrating was an understatement.

"However, the reason I summoned you is, in fact, tied to your destiny." His charge perked up at this and he continued. "You've heard the stories about ghosts walking the lands and attacking travelers on the roads?"

"Of course," Lienn replied, "but I assumed it was just peasants telling stories."

"I believe it is much more serious than that," Master Li explained. "Our dead no longer drift to the underworld. They wander, lost, going mad. In time, they may even overwhelm the living."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Why haven't I witnessed this?"

"We are on the edge of the empire and not all spirits make their presence known. We are not immune, but I have kept you isolated. This information could endanger you; it is tied to your destiny. And I think it is time for you to see it first hand."

"Master?"

"I must travel to Tien's Landing; there is an old friend I have some business with. I would like you to accompany me," Master Li stated simply.

"We're going to Tien's Landing?"

"Merchant Fen Do has some supplies that need to be delivered there, but with all the ghost stories, he can't find anyone willing to make the trip. I told him that you and I would protect the wagon in exchange for a ride to town and back.

"We'll leave first thing in the morning. I want you to take some silver and go buy whatever supplies you need. We should only be gone a few days, but it's best to be prepared for anything. Also, speak to Gujin the Weapons Master and get a weapon; there are more mundane predators than spirits on the road, and you may have need of it."

Lienn nodded obediently as she accepted the money pouch he offered her. "Is there anything else I should do?"

Master Li thought for a moment. "You may wish to speak with Dawn Star. Her talents might give you some valuable insight into what we will face on the road. Other than that, simply remember the basics I've taught you and keep them at heart."

"Yes, Master." She bowed respectfully, but once she'd left her master's home a broad grin split her face. She had never been anywhere but Two Rivers, and now they were going all the way to Tien's Landing. It was full day's ride to the town, at least. She didn't know much about the town itself, but the simple thought of seeing someplace new caused excitement to bubble up inside her.

The afternoon sun hung low in the sky, and she hurried to see if Smiling Mountain had any supplies she would need. There was much to do and very little time.

* * *

Lienn found Dawn Star just outside the school gate, planting flowers in her garden. She would never understand what her closest friend found so fascinating about a bunch of plants, and she had long since given up trying to figure it out.

Dawn Star looked up as she approached and smiled brightly. "Did you hear about Gao the Lesser? His father was here this morning and withdrew him from the school. Lin thinks he tried to bribe Master Li."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Lienn answered, taking a seat on the steps of a nearby pavilion. "Gao always acted like he was above Master Li's teachings, as though his family's money made him better than everyone else. He must have gotten that idea somewhere."

"I know. Would you believe that fool actually tried to buy me once? As if flaunting his father's undeserved wealth would impress me."

Lienn snorted. "I can just imagine what you told him to do with that offer."

Her friend's laughter gave way to melancholy. "Still, I always thought Master Li let him stay so that the influence of his father could be countered; it's a shame he refused to learn." She shook her head. "We shouldn't dwell on this; let's not increase his influence by talking about him after he's gone. I heard that Master Li asked to see you; has he told you any more about your future?"

"Yes, actually, that's why I came. He said I should ask you about the ghost stories everyone's been telling. He says they're tied to my destiny."

Dawn Star set down her small rake and frowned up at her friend. "You're tied to the wandering spirits? I wonder how?" She was silent for a moment before continuing. "I suppose that's not much more to go on than what he's told you in the past."

"No," Lienn answered with a sigh. "It's always the same thing. 'You're destined for great things, but you must discover what they are on your own.'"

"Still, I confess that I envy you. Master Li's respect for your potential is so… absolute. I know it's frustrating, but it must be exciting, as well."

Lienn raised an eyebrow. "He's told you similar things. You have talents too."

"It's not the same," Dawn Star insisted. "You are destined for great things, even if they are unknown. My skills will always be darker. I have the ability to see into the spiritual, a talent that grants some insight, but it doesn't seem to be useful for anything other than keeping me awake at night. I helped Master Li discover the unrest that shapes your future, but I see only problems, while you are destined to find solutions."

"You helped him discover the restless spirits?"

Dawn Star nodded slowly. "I see the wall between the physical and spiritual as being very thin. I'm… sensitive to it, I suppose. I've always been able to see spirits, even as a child, but I was shunned for it. People aren't very welcoming of someone who seems not to let the dead rest peacefully. That so many spirits have been begun appearing to others is… troubling."

"I would have thought it would make you feel better. It must be a little validating at least."

Her friend thought for a moment. "It is, in a way, but the possible reasons for the spirits' appearances worry me. We're all spiritual beings, and when we die, our spirits travel to the underworld; the journey eases the transition between life and death. But sometimes, if a spirit's life was very troubled or there was something it left undone, it would become lost on its journey. If it doesn't find its way to the underworld, eventually it goes mad trapped in the land of the living. As I listen to these ghost stories, I can't help but wonder what would cause so many spirits to become lost in the physical realm. And I can't even begin to imagine how you could be tied to such a thing."

Lienn listened intently as her friend spoke; she had never heard Dawn Star speak so openly of her perceptions of the spirit realm. Something in the words resonated within her, though she couldn't understand why. "I don't know, Dawn Star. I have a bad feeling."

"I don't like your 'bad feelings'," her friend answered with a frown. "They always end up being right. Remember the grass fire? Half the fields gone in a day, and you knew it would happen."

"I don't remember," she lied.

Her friend gave her a look that said she didn't believe that one bit, but didn't call her on it. "You said you could feel the lightning coming, but not even Master Li can predict the weather. I trust your instincts. You're full of such promise."

Lienn smiled a little. "Don't put me on a pedestal; I prefer to stand beside my friends."

Dawn Star laughed. "I'm glad. You always did keep your feet on the ground. What is it Master Li always says? That you should keep the basics close to heart?"

Lienn gazed absently at the sunset. The last rays of sun were giving way to night and a chill ran across her skin. "It's getting dark. We should head back inside."

"You're probably right, as usual," Dawn Star answered and collected her gardening tools.

Suddenly reluctant, Lienn slowly followed her friend back to the school gate.

* * *

The next morning, Lienn rose at dawn and did her usual stretching exercises. But rather than preparing for class, she packed her few belongings in a satchel, along with the fine long sword the weapon master had given her, and went to wait for Master Li in front of his house. She had only been there a few minutes when he joined her, a bag much like hers slung over his shoulder.

"Are you ready to go, my student?"

"Yes, Master, but there is something I wanted to ask you first. You said we're supposed to be protecting the wagon from ghosts, so how do we kill something that's already dead?"

"You cannot kill a spirit," Master Li explained, "but you _can_ disperse it. Spirits are fought much like any living being. Weapons have no effect on them, but they are vulnerable to martial arts and magic. In defeat, the spirit is disrupted and cannot reform for a time."

"So, the spirit will just disappear?"

"Essentially, yes. But you will see soon enough. Come, it is time to go."

With a last look towards the school, Lienn turned and followed her master into the village.

Fen Do was waiting for them at the town gate. He stood next to a man driving an ox and cart. "Ah, good. You've arrived just in time," the merchant said.

Lienn shied away and let Master Li speak with him. There was something seedy about the man; she had always disliked him. She gazed absently through the open gates to the road leading out of town, listening with half an ear as the men talked. The driver's name was Hing; he would be delivering supplies to Tien's Landing and picking up wares to bring back to Two Rivers. Lienn and Master Li were expected to protect Hing and the merchandise.

"And Fen," Hing insisted. "You must protect my beautiful Fen, my Flower of the Fields."

Fen, it turned out, was the ox. Lienn suppressed a snicker.

Within moments they were ready to go. Master Li helped her into the back of the cart and she took a seat on the wagon bed, leaning against her pack. Master Li followed suit, and just as the sun peeked over the horizon, the wagon began to move.

She frowned as they pulled out of the gate. Something was… not wrong exactly, but something important was about to happen.

Suddenly she wished Dawn Star was going with them. She had a very bad feeling.

* * *

For the most part, the morning was uneventful. Lienn and Master Li had been forced to dispatch some bandits as they traveled through the marshes just outside the school, but Lienn found that her skills were more than a match for them. It had felt strange, using her skills to kill. Before she'd only fought in the practice arena, and it was a little unsettling to know that another person's life had ended because of her.

Afterward, Master Li insisted that they meditate for a time. At first, the thought of what she'd just done had consumed her, but after a time she managed to put the incident out of her mind. The rhythmic swaying of the cart relaxed her muscles and lulled her mind. Distance made it easier to deceive herself into thinking that maybe they had survived; perhaps they were just unconscious, and – like in the training arena – they had gotten up and left after she was gone.

That thought was easier to live with.

The next sign of danger came around midday. Lienn was pulled from her meditation when the cart suddenly stopped. She looked up to find Master Li rising as well.

"Hing, is something wrong?"

"I–I don't know," the driver replied nervously. "My Fen just stopped, and she refuses to budge. Fen, my flower, what is it?"

The answer came in the form of a blinding flash of light originating from somewhere on the road before them. Lienn watched in amazement as a man simply appeared out of nowhere. He was dressed like a farmer, simple garments with a wide-brimmed hat on his head, and an aura of greenish energy surrounded him. She had to blink twice before realizing that she could, in fact, see through him.

A ghost.

A ghost was standing in the middle of the road yelling at them.

With another flash, three more ghosts were surrounding the wagon, brandishing spears in their direction.

The motion of Master Li leaping from the wagon and attacking the spirit nearest to him brought her out of her trance. She pulled her longsword and leapt off the wagon bed, slashing at the nearest specter on her way down. The blade ran through its body without even making it pause.

Suddenly remembering Master Li's warning that weapons couldn't harm a ghost, she sheathed the sword and threw a flurry of punches at the spirit. Despite the fact that it had no substance, her hands didn't pass through it. Instead, they glanced off a sort of invisible barrier, forcing the spirit to withdraw. It fell back before her attack, and as she delivered a sharp kick to its head, the specter vanished with a flash.

Lienn blinked uncertainly and turned to find Master Li finishing off the only remaining ghost. Her mind was reeling. She had known they would be fighting spirits, but the experience was so surreal that she didn't know what to make of it. She gazed absently down at her hands; her skin tingled oddly everywhere it had connected with the ghostly form. Slowly, the sensation faded, taking with it the only evidence that the fight had happened.

She felt as though she was going mad.

Hing crawled out from where he'd been cowering beneath the cart. "Oh, thank you! Thank you for protecting my beautiful Fen!"

Lienn giggled insanely at the sight of her serious master bowing respectfully to the ox and its neurotic little driver. She was beyond caring about propriety.

"Perhaps we should rest for a time before returning to the road," Master Li suggested, giving her a wary look. As Hing hurried off to tend to Fen, Master Li came to stand at her side. "How are you, my pupil?"

Her laughter faded as she considered the answer. "I'm… unharmed, Master."

"You look–"

"Like I've seen a ghost?" Lienn quipped.

The old man chuckled and offered her an apple. "I thought you handled yourself quite well, under the circumstances."

"It didn't feel that way," she confessed lying back on the grass. "I was so shocked. I still am."

Master Li sat beside her. "That is precisely why I wanted you to see this corruption first hand."

"Corruption, Master?"

He looked away. "A turn of phrase, my student. These spirits wandering the mortal realm represent a corruption of the natural order."

She bit into her apple, chewing thoughtfully. "How can I be tied to a corruption of the natural order?"

"This world is out of balance. Our dead have become restless, and you have a role to play that I have kept hidden from you."

Lienn propped herself up on an elbow to look at him. "Why would you do that?" she asked, suddenly serious.

"Those who go around announcing the importance of their destiny before they are ready, tend to meet unfortunate ends. The wise know only to seek attention when they are capable of dealing with it."

"Is that why you asked me to accompany you to Tien's Landing? To see if I was capable of dealing with it?"

"In part, yes," Master Li replied. "I had intended to wait until your training was complete before telling you this, but perhaps it is time." He glanced toward Hing, who was talking animatedly to his ox, and nodded slightly. "You are an orphan, Lienn, but you were not abandoned. You were rescued from the Temple of Dirge, in the Land of Howling Spirits. You were orphaned by violent action.

"I take responsibility for it. You see, I used to be more than a humble teacher. To learn more of yourself, you must first learn more of me. I was once the leader of the Imperial Army. I was known as Sun Li the Glorious Strategist. I am the brother of Emperor Sun Hai."

Lienn's jaw dropped in shock. "Master, you've never said anything about this! Why hide that you're the emperor's brother?"

"I was ashamed," he admitted. "The emperor seized your homeland during the Long Drought. It was an aggressive change in the empire that would soon bring Death's Hand to power. But I am getting ahead of myself. Tell me, what do you know of the Long Drought?"

Lienn frowned, thinking back to her history lessons. "Thirty years ago the Empire became barren. For a decade crops died, people starved. There were riots in the Imperial City that claimed thousands of lives. And then…" She frowned, trying to remember what she'd been taught. "And then the emperor did… something… and the drought was over." She paused. "It never really made sense to me."

Master Li nodded. "That is because most in the empire never knew what truly happened. They were only told that the drought was over and that was enough. But you have a right to know the whole truth.

"Seventeen years ago the empire was mired in drought. Your people revered the Water Dragon, so their temple at Dirge seemed like the ideal place to ask the heavens for help. But the Water Dragon governed more than just moisture; the drought was a part of the natural order and not for mortals to alter. Your people denied us access.

"The emperor was incensed. He asked me to plan a display of power that would force their compliance. As our armies marched, I realized how wrong we were. My brother could not be dissuaded, so I withdrew my support and tried to rally your people against the siege I had helped plan. A doomed effort. Many died on both sides. Sun Kin, my younger brother, also fell.

"That is how you came into my care. You were just a baby at the time. I found a secret passage on the lower level of the temple, a tunnel that led through the mountain and out of the monastery. I fled with you as the rest of your people were killed."

Lienn could only stare. This was more than she had ever been told about her life before the school, and now that her past was being laid before, her she had no idea what to say. Her master seemed to understand this and sat patiently, waiting for her to speak.

"You're really the emperor's brother?" was all she could manage.

"I am. There were three of us: Emperor Sun Hai, Prince Sun Kin the Hand of Heaven, and myself, Sun Li the Glorious Strategist. Age dictated our place. Sun Hai was the oldest and, as such, emperor. I was next and head of the army; Sun Kin was the youngest and leader of the monastic order."

"And you said Sun Kin died when… when the emperor attacked my people."

Master Li grimaced. "I suspect Kin's death may have been orchestrated by Death's Hand." At her uncomprehending look, he explained, "He is the right hand of the emperor and rules the Lotus Assassins in Prince Kin's place. He shows no hesitation and gave no thought to the lives of those we faced. His influence poisons the emperor. I have no doubt he is utterly evil.

"I have never faced him, but I know of no one living who has. A dark energy sustains him. That is the armor of a man who has no remorse, no pity."

Lienn nodded thoughtfully as silence filled the air between them. She took another bite of her apple but found it was like ashes in her mouth. Or perhaps it was the ashes of her world. She dropped her apple on the grass, having no more taste for it. Finally, she managed to force out the question she had truly wanted to ask.

"Can you tell me about my people?"

Master Li's voice was filled with pain as he answered. "Most in the empire know nothing of the Land of Howling Spirits, but I found its people to be honorable. I can't tell you more than that. There wasn't time to learn more. I am haunted by their deaths, and now I fear the world may join me."

"What do you mean?"

"Your people were guardians, but we did not have a clear idea of what. You were meant for something important, but because of my actions, it was denied you. You've heard the stories about ghosts walking the lands and attacking caravans on the roads, and now you have seen it with your own eyes. You are tied to this. It began when your people were destroyed."

She frowned silently. She felt drained, hollow; she supposed she was in shock. Nothing in her life was what it had seemed. Her heart ached for the family she had never known, the life that had been stolen from her. She looked at her master and found that she could not hate him for his part in their destruction; she could see the same pain she was feeling reflected in his eyes. He had lost just as much as she, and she grieved for him as well as herself.

Her master seemed to sense her despair and rose, offering her a hand. "Come," he said, his expression sympathetic. "We should continue on our journey."

She nodded and allowed him to guide her back to the cart.

* * *

Master Li watched his protégé covertly over the rim of his book; she lay back on the wagon bed, staring blankly at the sky. She hadn't spoken since they'd returned to the road, and her silence worried him. Perhaps telling her about the attack on Dirge had been a mistake. The coming trials required that she know, but the fact remained that, despite her skill, she wasn't much more than a child. The massacre of her people was a heavy burden to bear.

He sighed, pulling a bit of parchment and a stylus from his satchel. There was more she needed to know, but he supposed that would have to wait. Not too long, though; he had no doubt that events would soon take on a life of their own, and Lienn would be swept along. It was her destiny. All he could do was ensure that she would have everything she needed in order to fulfill it.

Collecting his thoughts, he began to write what was likely one of the most important documents he would ever transcribe. Lienn needed to understand the importance of her destiny. He had thought he had more time, but hopefully her training was far enough along that it wouldn't prove a hindrance. He had accounted for every contingency.

She couldn't fail; he needed her to set things right.

He gave the parchment one final read through, then folded it neatly and added it to the pouch.

As he tucked the pouch into his satchel, a disturbance caught his attention. Lienn sat up, the haze lifting from her eyes as she searched for its source.

The ruckus was coming from a nearby farmhouse. Men dressed in the rough gear of bandits were leaving the house, talking amongst themselves. The noise was coming from a small girl that two of the men were dragging along with them. The girl was fighting, thrashing against their grip and yelling for her father.

One of the men struck her across the face; she cried out, tears spilling down her tiny cheeks. "Quiet!" the man barked. "You'll soon learn obedience."

"Master," Lienn whispered, "shouldn't we go help her?"

Li grimaced. He felt for the child, but he recognized one of the men and knew them to be much more dangerous than simple bandits. And he was loathe to risk his pupil against such foes.

A moment later, however, the decision ceased to be his.

"Looks like we have company," one of the men said, pointing towards their cart.

"Good," another replied. "More silver for us. Grab 'em, boys!"

* * *

Sky walked briskly down the dirt road, squinting against the afternoon sun. The day was warm, and had Pinmei been with him, he likely would have strolled at a more leisurely pace, but he had left her home alone and was anxious to get back. He smiled in anticipation, imagining the delight on her little face when she saw the gift he'd brought her: a small wooden box with lotus blossoms carved into the lid. He'd seen it among Chumin the Craftsman's wares in Tien's Landing and thought immediately of his young daughter. It was frivolous, and he knew that he spoiled her, but he couldn't help it. She was all he had. And so the box was tucked safely in his pack, along with the goods he'd acquired through less legitimate means.

A dark shadow fell over him, accompanied by a loud clanging, and he looked up. Several flyers were passing overhead, flanking a large airship. The bird-like flyers rushed ahead and then began to dip lower, disappearing into the trees. When they didn't emerge, he assumed they had landed, but the airship looped around to make another pass.

He took a moment to gauge their movements and a cold dread filled him. The ships had landed near his house.

Wordlessly he broke into a run.

The sounds of battle reached him long before he got home. He could hear strange voices yelling, the occasional clang of weapons.

The sight that greeted him as he approached his house confirmed his worst fears. There were a few bodies strewn across the yard, one of the shrubs was on fire, and the front door had been smashed in. As he stood there, ignoring the ox grazing contently on his lawn, a bright flash of light from the back of the property nearly stopped his heart. Heedless of his own safety, he raced around the side of the house; all that mattered was getting to Pinmei.

He stopped in his tracks as the fight unfolded before him. An old man in simple peasants garb and a young woman in blue silks were doing battle against about a dozen men. The attackers seemed to be pirates of some kind; the three missing flyers were perched nearby in the field.

Pinmei was nowhere in sight.

Desperate, Sky dashed into the farmhouse, calling for his daughter. The structure was small and it only took a moment of searching to reveal that she was not inside it. Fear choked him, and he sprinted back outside to resume his search. He had to find her, had to see that she was safe.

He stepped outside just in time to see one of the men shove Pinmei into a flyer. "No," he breathed. He pulled twin blades from the scabbard on his back and raced toward them. He leapt over bodies and dodged aimless blows, only pausing once to cut down a bandit that had the misfortune of stepping in his path.

He ran as though his life depended on it – his daughter's very well might – but it wasn't enough. Sky could only watch helplessly as the flyer lifted off, carrying his child away.

Hatred the likes of which he'd never known surged through him. His daughter was all he had. She was his life. And they'd taken her away.

He turned, blades at the ready, and leapt into the fray. He cut down two of the assailants from behind and paused, debating who to go for next.

For a moment the woman in blue caught his attention; she fought like no one else he'd ever seen. Except perhaps the old man. Sky wondered if the man was her father; their styles were similar. However, the man's movements were swift and concise, while the woman's were smooth and fluid. But there was something else about the way she fought, something he couldn't put his finger on…

A shadow cast itself over them and his gaze drifted skyward, already knowing what he would see. The airship was hovering directly overhead. A moment later, something was falling through the air towards them.

"Get down!" Sky yelled and dove for cover.

The projectile exploded on impact, spitting flames, spewing soil and rocks everywhere. Sky coughed as he inhaled a lung full of dirt. He rose carefully, dusting himself off; he was dirty, but uninjured. He waved a hand before his face, waiting for the cloud of dust to settle.

He spotted a few of the pirates rising from the debris. One was hovering over the woman in blue and preparing to heft her limp form over his shoulder. A new wave of anger swept through Sky, and he launched himself at the man. The pirate was caught completely off guard; he didn't even get to defend himself as Sky struck him down. A few others tried to approach, but Sky made easy work of them. He heard another flyer lifting off but didn't have a chance to look. He only hoped that the last of them were making a run for it.

He dispatched the few remaining bandits and looked around for the old man, but he was nowhere in sight. Sighing, Sky sheathed his blades and knelt beside the unconscious woman. Getting his first good look at her, he was struck by how young she was; he wouldn't have expected someone her age to fight with such skill.

He smoothed some escaping strands of black hair out of her face and noted the ugly bruise that was blooming on her temple. He supposed that was why she was unconscious. She seemed otherwise unharmed, so he rose and began searching for the old man. He checked all the bodies without success and was finally forced to assume that the pirates had taken him in their flyer.

_Like they took Pinmei,_ he thought darkly.

If they were abducting peasants that could only mean one thing: slavers.

He scowled, clenching his fists in anger. His child was the most precious thing in his life, and he refused to lose her like this. Slowly he walked back to the unconscious woman, lifted her gently into his arms, and carried her into the house. He laid her on the mattress where he slept and prepared to tend her wounds.

He only hoped she would recover. She had to. He would need her to help him find his daughter.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: _Jade Empire_ belongs to Bioware, but if they wanted to give it to me I certainly wouldn't turn it down.

_**Chapter 2**_

Lienn was dreaming.

She knew she was dreaming, but it was the most vivid dream she ever remembered having. She was kneeling in a field with a few trees and a small waterfall running down into a brook nearby. She idly ran her hand across the cool grass, then rose.

As she stood, there was a flash of light and a figure in blue appeared.

The woman was hauntingly beautiful, floating just above the ground like a ghost. She had long, flowing hair that glistened like streams of water and wore a voluminous robe that seemed to flutter in a breeze that wasn't there. Her eyes were dark and wise, her lips pale and solemn; golden filigree crossed her brow and a corona of energy radiated outward from her.

Lienn stared in awe at the spirit in blue as it beckoned her and backed toward the stream. For some reason she was compelled to obey and followed as though in a trance.

The spirit stopped by the waterfall, hovering weightlessly over the brook. "My power is stretched thin… bled away…" the spirit said, its voice low and earthy, "and you are too small, too mortal, to truly understand. But small things can move beneath the notice of others. Your master hopes that you will grow strong while he leads the predators away. His reasons are clouded, but you must find a way through the fog. You are the one who can hear, the one who can act. Search… but look also for yourself. You are a Spirit Monk, and you are the last."

"What is a Spirit Monk?" Lienn asked, mesmerized.

The specter bowed her head, her gaze unfocused for a moment before she replied. "I do not have the strength to answer," she explained wearily. "I am cut open, and the way to the underworld is shut. Spirits are lost with no shepherd, no guardians. You must restore us.

"The amulet is a focus; it will guide you. But when you know both sides of the veil of death, ability alone will save you."

"What amulet?" Lienn pleaded. "I don't understand."

"I can do no more… I must fade," the spirit sighed, her voice full of regret. "Pity those spirits that have grown twisted. You will come to know their pain when life leaves you. Pity the world if you fail, Spirit Monk, for you _are_ the last."

* * *

Sky sat at the girl's bedside and pressed a damp cloth to her head. She'd been unconscious for quite some time and he was beginning to worry. She should have awakened long before now.

"You have to wake up," he told her quietly. "I need you to help me find my daughter." As though she'd heard him, a frown creased her forehead and she began to stir. Hope surged through him and he watched her avidly. "Hey? Can you hear me?"

She groaned, a small hand moving to rub her temple. "What happened?"

"I was hoping you could tell me," he answered as dark, almond-shaped eyes blinked up at him. He forced himself to remain calm; he couldn't bombard her with questions or demand information about his daughter, no matter how desperately he wanted to. He would need her help to find Pinmei; he couldn't afford to scare her.

_Slowly,_ he told himself. "My name is Sky. I found you in my yard fighting bandits. I think they may have been slavers." The woman's eyes widened and she tried to sit up but fell back with a gasp of pain. "Lie still," he admonished. "You were wounded, knocked unconscious. I brought you to my house to tend you."

"Master Li. We were fighting them. Is he here?"

Sky frowned. "If you mean the old man, I think the slavers took him. They… they took my daughter as well."

She closed her eyes, a pained expression on her face. "The little girl."

He nodded solemnly. "Pinmei."

The woman sighed. "We were on our way to Tien's Landing and saw them dragging her out of the house. We tried to stop them, but they just kept coming."

He grimaced and thought, _I should have been here. _

Sky swallowed his guilt, knowing it would only hinder him right now, and quietly, he said, "Thank you… For trying."

"Thank you for taking care of me," she answered.

He nodded. "Do you have a name?"

She smiled. "My name is Lienn. I'm a student at the Two Rivers School."

Sky's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You're only a student? Your master must be a genius. You fight like no one I've ever seen before."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I only had a moment to watch you, but I'd have to say that no one I've ever met fights like you do." He thought for a moment, trying to find words to explain. "It's subtle, but your movements bait your foes into seeing an opening that isn't there. It's like a clever trap. If it weren't for that explosion, I don't think those slavers could have defeated you."

She seemed to ponder this for a moment before saying, "Are you sure they were slavers?"

"Bandits don't usually take prisoners unless they're planning to sell them." He paused. "Look, I have to rescue my daughter. Do you have any idea who they were or where they might have taken her?"

"They were Gao's men," she sighed.

"Gao?"

"Gao the Greater. His son is– _was_ a student at my school. I recognized one of the men; he used to be one of Gao the Lesser's bodyguards at school."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh yes. A while back he made an… an unwelcome advance towards me. He wouldn't take no for an answer and I had to break two of his fingers to discourage him. It's not the sort of thing you forget."

Sky frowned. "Gao the Greater… I've never heard of him. What can you tell me?"

Lienn sat up slowly, painfully, and leaned back against the wall. "Not much. Gao didn't really have any friends at the school; he always thought his father's money made him better than the rest of us. There were rumors that his father was some kind of criminal, which seem to be true." She thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I'm sorry. Gao and I never really spoke unless it was to trade insults. He hated me, and the feeling was mutual. Is there any way we can track them?"

"They left in flyers," he answered miserably. "I don't even know where to begin."

Sky crawled onto the mattress and sat beside her as a gloomy silence filled the room. He had no idea where his daughter had been taken, and no way to track the men who'd abducted her. He'd never felt so helpless. He needed information on this Gao the Greater, to find out where he operated from. But who would have that kind of information?

Night was setting in, darkness creeping across the room, but he barely noticed. All his energy was focused on plans to find Pinmei.

"Sky, how fast can a flyer go?" Lienn asked quietly.

"I'm not sure. Why?"

"Well, if they were taking prisoners, they probably wouldn't want to go very far; they didn't have enough men to guard such a large camp overnight. And they definitely wouldn't want to risk running out of power, which means–"

"That they are probably still in this area," he finished. They gazed at each other in the dim light. Suddenly hopeful, Sky rose and lit a small lantern, setting it carefully on the floor nearby. "Tien's Landing is the only town near here; if they're operating in this area, some townspeople might have been taken. If they were, then someone in town will have heard about it."

Lienn smiled. "I guess we're going to Tien's Landing."

"I guess we are. We can leave at dawn, if that's all right with you."

She nodded. "Is there someplace I can wash up?"

"I'll get you some water," he said, rising. "Oh, that reminds me, I found these in a cart out front. I thought they might be yours." He placed two small packs at her feet and she offered him a pained smile.

"They are. Mine and… Master Li's."

"We'll find him," he assured. "Him and Pinmei both."

Lienn nodded and forced herself not to think about the possibilities. Master Li was a powerful fighter; he could defend himself if need be.

Desperate for a distraction, she opened her satchel and began looking for some sleep clothes. She had barely glanced inside when an unfamiliar pouch caught her attention. She unlaced it and pulled out a bronze amulet in the shape of a dragon's face, three small stones, and a note. Glancing at the note, she found her name written on it in Master Li's script. She opened it and began to read:

_My student,_

_This amulet was with you in Dirge. I understand what it does, but you are the one meant to be trained in its use. I'm sorry that my actions denied you this. Your people were adept at using essence gems. Essence gems are used by healers and upstart sorcerers and are common enough to be wasted on ornamentation, but with the Dragon Amulet you can tap their true potential. I kept it from you because power is a beacon. The forces behind the restless dead will take an interest in you. Even mindless spirits may be drawn to you. In achieving your true power, you become a target that many will not be able to resist. Be careful. It is desired by many who seek power beyond the mortal realm.  
_

_Lienn, I hope you realize your importance. You are tied to the reason why spirits wander. Many appeared after your people fell. The restless dead must be allowed to find their way to the underworld. All of us will suffer if things continue as they are._

_Soon you must leave Two Rivers. Seek the source of this problem, even if it leads you to the heart of the empire, and eradicate it. That is your purpose and burden. I hope that the basics I have taught you will aid you in setting everything right. _

_Be well, my student, and remember to keep the basics close to heart._

_Master Li_

Lienn picked up the amulet, running her fingers over the surface; it was molded into the shape of a dragon's face. There were three notches in the relief – one in each of the dragon's eyes and a third in the middle of its forehead – that looked like they could hold stones. She picked up one of the gems from the bag and slid it securely into place. As she fitted the other two gems into the amulet, her fingers began to tingle. The amulet seemed to glow faintly in her hands, the gems glittering like eyes in the dark, and as she fastened it to her bodice, a gentle warmth began to spread through her body. The pain of her wounds faded slightly and she felt stronger. Her mind cleared; her spirit seemed to rise, and suddenly a memory flashed in her mind.

_The amulet is a focus; it will guide you. _

That was what the spirit in her dream had said. Or was it a dream?

She frowned. She had heard stories of great masters having visions of the spirit world, but could such a thing have happened to her?

She longed to speak to Dawn Star; her friend knew far more about the spirit realm than she did.

She closed her eyes, trying to remember what else the spirit in blue had told her. The words were foggy, yet she could picture the woman's face as clear as day. There was such sadness in her expression, as though she had witnessed some horror that had scarred her soul.

Two words suddenly echoed in her mind, and her eyes shot open.

She looked to Sky as he stood heating a pail of water over the fire and asked, "Have you ever heard of a Spirit Monk?"

He turned, his face illuminated by the fire light and she got her first real look at him. His face was all angles, high cheekbones, straight nose, strong jaw. He had dark, expressive eyes that were creased with worry and black hair swept into a neat topknot. His sleeveless shirt was a lighter blue than hers; it revealed muscular arms and a strong, sculpted chest, tapering into a narrow waist. Clearly he was a fighter. _And he's very attractive, in a roguish sort of way,_ she thought with a hint of embarrassment.

His expression was thoughtful as he said, "My father told me stories about Spirit Monks once or twice. They were a secret order that came from the Land of Howling Spirits. No one knew much about them; they mainly kept to themselves. But it's said that hundreds of years ago, when the Horse Lords invaded the Jade Empire, the emperor's armies couldn't stand against them. Their leader threatened to level the Imperial City, and the Spirit Monks intervened. They came down from their secret temple and turned back the assault."

Lienn thought for a moment, then asked, "So they're real?"

"The Spirit Monks?" Sky shrugged. "It's hard to say. I don't know anyone who's ever met one." He tossed her a cloth. "The water is warm. I'll get you a towel and let you get cleaned up."

She nodded her thanks and rose from the mattress, wincing as her abused muscles protested. She swayed unsteadily, placing a hand on the wall for support, and followed Sky into a small room where he'd set up a washbasin for her to bathe in. As she began to undress behind the simple bamboo screen, Lienn decided not to worry about Spirit Monks for the moment. She had other things to focus on.

First she needed to heal herself. Anyone could channel Chi though their body to heal minor or moderate wounds, but Master Li had taught her several advanced healing techniques; she could recover from a near-mortal wound in mere hours. By morning her bruises would be non-existent and her head wound completely healed. That was a very good thing, since she needed to be at her best for their rescue attempt.

Once they'd rescued Master Li, he would answer all her questions.

* * *

They left at dawn the next morning, hitching Fen to the wagon she'd brought from Two Rivers and continuing on the road to Tien's Landing. Lienn had frowned a little when she'd spotted the ox grazing in front of Sky's house. She couldn't imagine nervous little Hing leaving it voluntarily; he must have been taken with Pinmei and Master Li. She sighed, hoping they'd be able to rescue him as well.

For a time they rode in silence, but as the sun rose overhead Sky asked, "So why were you headed to Tien's Landing?"

"Master Li has an acquaintance there he needed to speak with and asked me to accompany him. This wagon belongs to one of our local merchants, so we were going to protect it for him." She sighed. "I knew there was a chance we might run into bandits, but I never expected…"

Sky placed a warm hand on hers; she clasped it tightly, comforted by the simple gesture. "I understand. When I left Pinmei alone yesterday morning, I never thought for a moment that she would be taken from me."

"Where's her mother?" Lienn asked innocently.

He pulled away abruptly, clutching the reins tightly as he focused on the road. "She died in childbirth," he answered quietly.

"I'm sorry."

For a long time they sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Finally, Sky spoke. "So, who were you and your master supposed to be meeting?"

"Actually, I'm not sure," she answered with a frown. "Master Li never told me their name. While we're in town we should try to find out. Maybe they can help us rescue him and Pinmei."

"I'll take all the help I can get."

As they traveled down the winding dirt road, the landscape began to change. Farmland gave way to bloated marshes. Weeds grew tall; trees and large boulders slowly trapped them in a narrow valley. Eventually the road was reduced to a muddy path that became lost among grasses that grew almost as tall as Lienn herself. She spotted the odd headstone hidden among the grass, and soon they began to pass abandoned buildings, falling into disrepair.

More structures appeared the further they traveled, the outskirts of an old town perhaps. But it had clearly been deserted long ago. Stone crumbled from the ancient walls; the wood collapsed as it rotted. The area seemed dark in spite of the sunshine, and there was something in the air that made her shiver.

"Where are we?" she asked uneasily.

"Almost to Old Tien's." She looked at Sky uncomprehending, so he explained. "It's a sad story, really. Tien's Landing was originally built along the edge of the river. Then, after the end of the Long Drought, Emperor Sun Hai began all these public works, including building a dam. Well, one day, construction on the dam was finished, and without any warning, the emperor ordered it closed. It created a huge lake, and the entire town flooded."

"That's terrible!"

Sky nodded. "Yeah. A lot of people died as a result. And the survivors were left with nothing. They moved up river and rebuilt on the edge of the lake, but no one ever forgot. It's said that the ruins of Old Tien's Landing are haunted by the souls of the townsfolk that drowned there, but seeing as the whole place is underwater I'm not sure how they'd know."

As he spoke, there were three bright flashes and ghosts appeared around their wagon.

"Then again…" Sky muttered and leapt gracefully from the cart.

Lien followed suit, raining punches down on the ghost of a woman brandishing a spear. The spear stung her shoulder, and she back-flipped away, hoping to regroup. An instant later she was diving for cover as the woman hurled a fireball at her. The hem of her pants ignited, and she rolled smoothly to the ground to smother the flames.

Moments later she was back on her feet, racing towards the apparition. She wove from side to side, neatly dodging the flames being spit at her, then leapt high into the air and came down behind the spirit. Channeling her chi for extra strength, she landed a powerful kick to the ghost's back. The figure was thrown forward and faded into the ground.

Sky had finished off the ghost he was fighting and was slowly driving the third back. Lienn tumbled towards them and began attacking from the other side, trapping the spirit between them. Within moments, it too had melted into nothingness.

Sky leaned against a nearby boulder, panting, as Lienn knelt down to check that she hadn't been seriously burned. Her pant leg was singed at the bottom and her skin had a large red patch from the heat, but fortunately, that was the extent the damage.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she sat back on her heels… and frowned. Something was wrong. Her vision blurred as a wave of dizziness overcame her. She shook her head, but the sensation only intensified. Desperately, she leaned forward to support herself against the cool earth, but it was no use. Her body continued to sink and an instant later her head hit the ground.

Lienn lay there, helpless, as the world went white before here eyes, and she wondered if she was dying. Slowly, however, her sight came back into focus, and she cautiously pushed herself back up.

Something was off.

She glanced around. She was still in the clearing where she'd been fighting a moment ago, but it was different in some way she couldn't quite describe. Rising carefully to her feet, she looked for Sky, but instead found her mystery spirit hovering before her.

The woman in blue floated peacefully just above the ground, her hands folded before her as if in prayer. Assuming one could call them hands, that is, as Lienn suddenly noted that they were strangely shaped, with only three claw-like fingers attached to thick, oddly-shaped palms.

She gazed at Lienn through sad eyes for a moment before speaking. "The spirits in this place are angry, and do not welcome the living, but despite their maddened presence, you will benefit. A Spirit Monk was here, long ago, fleeing the destruction that orphaned you. He carried a piece of your amulet. It was separated; broken apart so your enemies could not find it easily.

"You have the first piece. It trains your abilities now. The second piece fell here with its minder, hidden until the waters recede. A guardian protects it, waiting to test and serve you. The third piece awaits discovery in a distant lair. These three pieces are physical, but there is one more. It cannot be found, only earned. This final piece is all that will save you in the end."

Before Lienn could reply, the world shifted around her once again, and this time, when she looked up, she found that she was still lying in the dirt where she had fallen, and Sky was hovering anxiously over her.

"Are you all right?" he asked worriedly. "You collapsed after the fight. Maybe you aren't fully healed from the explosion yesterday."

"No, I'm… I'm all right. I…" her words trailed off as she debated what to tell him. She liked Sky well enough, but he was still a stranger. She wasn't sure she was ready to tell him about the visions. Suppose he decided she was mad and refused to help her find Master Li? "It's probably just fatigue. I didn't sleep well."

Sky still looked worried, but nodded. "All right. We're nearly to Tien's Landing anyway. There's a place just outside town where we can set up camp. You can get some rest while I ask around about the slavers."

Lienn allowed him to help her back up onto the wagon and they continued on their way. As the path turned upward, the road became rockier; Lienn was forced to grip the seat tightly to avoid being thrown from the cart. In spots it became so narrow she feared the small wagon would get stuck between the giant boulders lining the way. However, they made it through the valley without incident and crossed a small, covered bridge. The path on the other side was both wider and smoother, and within a few moments they approached a large boulder with a red fish painted on it that pointed to way to the town.

Sky drove the wagon around a bend and suddenly they seemed to enter another world. The swamp gave way to rich farmland; the weeds were replaced by fragrant wildflowers that bloomed everywhere in colorful patches. The sun shone brightly against a clear blue sky, banishing the dank haze that had hung over the marsh. Lienn inhaled deeply as the oppressive darkness of the swamp was lifted away; it was a relief to be free of it.

"We'll leave Fen over there," Sky said, pointing to an open field where several goats were grazing, "and then set up camp here," he finished, pointing to a large derelict building directly ahead.

"You're sure no one will bother us?" she asked uncertainly as he helped her down from the wagon.

"Positive. This place has been abandoned for as long as I can remember."

As he unhitched the cart and led the ox away, Lienn took a look around. The structure he'd indicated for their camp looked like it had once been a prominent building. It was made of white stone, two floors, with intricately carved wooden panels enclosing a walkway around the building. Despite the fact that it had obviously been neglected for some time, it was still a beautiful edifice. She turned a corner and found a small atrium the perfect size for a camp. It wasn't much, but it was hidden from plain view and would protect them from the elements.

Lienn pulled their few supplies out of the wagon bed and carried them to the campsite. As she began spreading her bedroll, Sky appear with an armful of kindling.

"I'll start a fire," he said, setting the kindling in the middle of their campsite, "and then you can get some rest while I ask around about Gao."

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"

"I can handle it. You still look pale, and we'll need you at your best when we confront the slavers. It won't help Pinmei or your master if you collapse and are captured."

Reluctantly, she was forced to agree. "Why don't you go get started? I can build the fire."

For a moment she thought he would argue, but then he nodded slowly. "All right. I suppose we don't have much time to waste. There's a teahouse not far from here; it's just over the bridge. I'll pick us up some food on my way back. You stay put and I'll be back soon."

For a few moments after Sky's departure, all she could do was sit. Her mind was so full of worries that she could barely think straight. For a moment she was tempted to run after him simply to have something to do. But unfortunately he was right. She'd taken a serious blow to her head yesterday; perhaps these visions were a sign that she'd been more gravely injured than they'd originally thought…

And yet she couldn't seem to convince herself that was true.

She knew most people would say she was mad. After all, that was why she hadn't shared the secret with Sky. If someone had told _her_ they were having visions of a spirit in blue that gave them cryptic advice, _she _would certainly think they were insane. So then why couldn't she consider that possibility in herself?

Lienn considered the question as she carefully arranged the kindling in a circle of stones. Perhaps it was because of the way Master Li always spoke about her destiny. He made it sound so strange and fantastic that things strange and fantastic didn't seem so odd to her. Or it could be due to the ghosts she'd fought over the last few days. After all, what was another spirit, more or less? At least this one wasn't trying to kill her. The wood finally struck and within a few moments a fire crackled merrily in the middle of their campsite. She sat back to admire her handiwork and truly considered the possibilities.

No, it wasn't either of those reasons. The true reason she didn't believe she was mad was that she could _feel_ that the spirit was real. It was familiar to her in some way she couldn't define. She felt as though she _knew_ the woman in blue… Or that she _should_ know her. She just couldn't understand why.

With a sigh Lienn moved her bedroll beside the fire and gazed up at the sky. The blue sky. Like the spirit woman's hair, her robes… And as Lienn closed her eyes, all she could see was the woman's sad gaze staring at her.

* * *

Sky walked briskly across the log bridge and headed for the teahouse. His chances of overhearing something important would be far increased if he was someplace where people gathered, and in this little town, those places were few and far between.

As he pushed open the door, waiting a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the dim light, he realized the teahouse would be of little help today. The place was practically empty.

With a disheartened sigh he was about to slip back out, but a cheerful voice stopped him.

"Hello there! Welcome to Old Mother Kwan's teahouse. My name is Steeper Yanru; what can I get you?"

Sky suppressed a grimace and walked over to the small bar the cheery young man was standing behind. "How about a bowl of wine?"

"Sure. We have Peasant's Wine and Imperial Seasoned Spirits."

Sky decided on the weaker Peasant's Wine and took a sip; it wasn't very good, but he'd had worse.

"I don't think I've seen you before. You're not from town, are you?" Yanru continued.

"I live a little ways from here," he answered vaguely. "I usually only come into town to pick up supplies."

"I hope you're not looking for work. The only open jobs are for dockworkers; they're so poorly paid that they're barely better off than the beggars. It's sad really," the boy continued. "This town used to be really prosperous, but ever since Minister Sheng took over, things have been a little slow."

"Who's Minister Sheng?" Sky asked absently. He was only listening with half an ear, but the young man didn't seem to notice. He launched an explanation about the Ministry of Harmony while Sky discreetly studied the interior of the building.

It was a pleasant enough place, he supposed; sunlight filtered in from windows high on the second floor, turning the polished wooden walls a warm gold. A few decorative vases and painted screens gave it a homey air, but his current circumstances made it hard to appreciate the ambiance. Instead, his attention focused on a man and woman who had seated themselves at a nearby table. They were speaking animatedly to an old woman, but their words were too quiet to understand. He wanted very badly to go listen, but there wasn't any way to do so without arousing suspicion.

"—really just wants to go back to the Imperial City. Every time a fleet of flyers goes overhead he thinks they're coming for him, but of course they never are."

Sky's head whipped around as he heard the magic word. "Flyers? Do they come by here often?"

"They didn't used to," Yanru answered, oblivious to his patron's intensity, "but lately a fleet seems to come by every other day. A fleet went by yesterday, now that I think about it. Don't know where they were headed though."

"Do you know where they're coming from?" Sky asked hopefully. He could barely hear his own voice through the desperate hammering of his heart.

"No one does. We can't figure out who they belong to either. It used to be that only the rich nobles in the Imperial City owned flyers, but I can't imagine why one of them would be coming here…" Yanru paused. "Well, Lord Yun comes here once in a while since his family owns the Great Southern Forest, but he never brings more than one flyer."

Sky nodded and took a long swallow of wine to wash away his disappointment. It was too much to have hoped that he'd get lucky so soon, but it still stung.

He pulled out a few silvers to pay his bill and headed toward the main part of town. He followed the cobblestone path down to the river. His next stop was going to be Beggar's Pier. The poor and unfortunate were easy targets for a slaving operation since most of them wouldn't be missed. Sky forced himself to walk leisurely along the waterfront so he wouldn't draw attention to himself. As a thief he was well-practiced at blending in, but today he found it particularly hard. How was he supposed to act normal when everything had gone so wrong?

His eyes rested on Chumin's shop, and he quickly averted his gaze. Yesterday he had bought Pinmei a gift from the craftsman. Was it only yesterday? How could things have gone bad so quickly? Sky stared at the ground, focusing on the step immediately in front of him, but in the back of his mind he wondered what had happened to that little carved box he'd bought for his daughter. Was it still in his satchel? Had he dropped it when he spotted the flyers? He couldn't remember.

Not really watching where he was going, he was startled when a small body crashed into him. He raised his eyes to find a peasant girl looking up at him in shock.

"Sorry," she said shyly.

Sky opened his mouth but no words would come. She couldn't be more than five years old – the same age as Pinmei.

A moment later her mother came flying down the path. "I'm so sorry," she said to him, then grabbed the child by the arm. "Mei Lin, what have I told you about running off? You mustn't do that. It isn't safe!"

The woman's tirade continued as she ushered the child away, but Sky could only stand there.

_I left her at home so she would be safe,_ he thought guiltily.

He tilted his head toward the sky and drew a deep breath. There would be time to feel guilty later. Now he had to focus on finding his child.

As he was about to continue down the path, Sky realized that the dock house was looming over him. It was well-known that Ai Ling's gang used the enormous building as a hideout. Not that they were especially hidden, but none of the townsfolk dared oppose them. However, despite her reputation, Sky knew that Ai Ling was an intelligent and practical young woman. If there was a rival in the area, chances are she would know about it.

With renewed hope, he slowly mounted the steps.

"Hey, this is a private club!" the door guard announced.

"I know. I need to speak with Ai Ling." He leaned in conspiratorially. "Business. You know how it is."

The guard looked him up and down and, apparently deciding he didn't pose a threat, unlocked the massive wooden door. "Huh. Well, I guess you can go in."

Sky pushed open the heavy door and stepped into a small entryway. There wasn't much to see. Dingy rooms lit by fires in iron braziers. Some rubble, some crates. A scroll stand, its parchment creamy white against the dull wood of the walls. He restrained his natural impulse to open a large chest and appropriate its contents; it wouldn't do to have them attack him for thievery. At least not until _after_ he talked to Ai Ling.

He found her seated at a table in the main chamber, sorting through a large chest of gems, no doubt their latest plunder. She glanced up as he approached and smiled. "Sky, back again? Tell me you came to your senses and decided to take me up on my offer."

"I told you, Ai Ling, I'm strictly freelance. I have no intention of joining your organization," he replied, taking a seat across from her.

She sighed, the movement barely visible through the chest plate of her armor. "Pity. It would be very profitable for both of us. Well, if you aren't here for a job, then why are you here?"

"Information."

"Buying or selling?"

"Both." The woman raised her eyebrow curiously as he explained. "There's a pirate ring working in this area. I think they're into slaving, too. I need to know where they're operating from."

Ai Ling nodded slowly, her face a perfect gambler's mask giving nothing away. "And in return?"

"I can tell you who the head man is."

The gang leader leaned back in her chair regarding him evenly. "Maybe I already know who's in charge."

Sky smirked a little. "If you knew you wouldn't be asking."

She chuckled a little, looking for a moment like the kind young woman she could have been. But then the hardness returned to her eyes and she replied, "True enough. But it hardly seems an equal trade. After all, if I wanted to know who was in charge I could send my boys to find out."

"Why waste time and resources when I'm right here and asking for so little in return?"

"You wouldn't have come to me if you didn't think it was important information. I just want to make sure I get the full value."

Sky gritted his teeth at the faux innocence on her face. His child's life was at stake and Ai Ling was worried about silver; he wanted to grab her by the throat and shake her, to demand she tell him what she knew. But that would only get him killed.

He swallowed the string of insults he wanted to hurl at her and said in a carefully even voice, "How much?"

"For you? Fifty silver."

"That's outrageous. Twenty-five."

"Forty-five."

"Thirty."

"Thirty-five. Final offer," Ai Ling said.

"Done." He emptied his purse and slid the coins across the table.

She nodded and dropped them into her own with a jingle. "We've known about the slavers for a while, but they always use fliers so they've been difficult to track. There's a pagoda down river which we think is their base."

"You're not sure?"

"The men I sent to investigate haven't returned yet," she explained. "And their leader?"

"Gao the Greater." Sky frowned as Ai Ling inhaled sharply. "You know him?"

"Only by reputation. Rumor has it he's taken over leadership of the Guild."

His jaw dropped. "The crime syndicate?" He let out a low whistle. This was bad. The Guild was notorious; nobody messed with them, not even the Lotus Assassins. How were he and Lienn supposed to get past them?

Rising slowly, he nodded to Ai Ling. "Thanks."

"My pleasure," she answered amiably. "If you change your mind about the job…"

"I know where to find you." Sky turned stiffly and left the way he came.

He winced as the heavy door thudded closed behind him, but managed to wait until he was out of the guard's view before doubling over as though he'd been punched. He leaned against the cool stone wall of the dock house and slid downward until he was sitting in the dirt.

The Guild.

How was he supposed to rescue Pinmei from the Guild? There was no way he and Lienn could stand against a fortress full of Guild fighters.

He leaned forward and rested his forehead on his knees as guilt and despair swept through him.

And he had thought she'd be _safe_.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: _Jade Empire_ belongs to Bioware, but if they wanted to give it to me I certainly wouldn't turn it down.

_**Chapter 3**_

Sky closed his eyes and rubbed his face tiredly. His daughter had been abducted by the most notorious criminal organization in the Jade Empire. How could this be happening? He hadn't been able to protect her from them in the first place, and now he didn't even know how to get her back. The obvious choice was to buy her back, but even if he robbed every person in this pitiful little town he still wouldn't have enough. And then there was Master Li. He and Lienn had an agreement, albeit unspoken, and while he _was_ a thief, he did try to maintain some small shred of honor. They were in this together, and he couldn't abandon her. She was his partner.

_But Pinmei's my daughter…_

A despairing sigh burst through his lips. What were they going to do?

Feeling as though he had aged a decade in the last few moments, Sky pulled himself up off the cold ground. He wouldn't accomplish anything just sitting here; he'd go back to the camp and discuss it with Lienn. Turning back the way he came, he took two steps and stopped.

Food.

He'd promised Lienn he'd bring some food. And considering how pale she'd been when he'd left, there was no question in his mind that she needed a decent meal. Only now his purse was empty; all his silver had gone into Ai Ling's coffers.

Well, he might not be able to steal enough coin to buy a slave, but he could certainly find enough for dinner. Nodding to himself, he followed a rough stone path up the hill.

The Market Square wasn't much, just a line of small, ill-kept wooden stalls separating the town from the edge of the Great Southern Forest. They only carried the basic necessities for village life and a few trinkets, none of the fine wares you could buy in the Imperial City. Its greatest attribute, in his estimation, was that it forced the townsfolk to congregate so he could pick their pockets and then disappear into the crowd.

Sky stood near the well in the middle of the square seeming to debate which stall to patronize, but in truth he was scouting for a mark. Most of the villagers were poor; half of them looked like they didn't have two silvers to rub together. He would have had to rob a dozen of them to come up with enough money to buy dinner for two. He longed for the Imperial City and all those wealthy nobles in the Golden Way with their fat purses; there he could have gathered enough coin to buy both Pinmei and Master Li in a single afternoon. He sighed. Well, there was no help for it. It would take a season to get there without a flyer and they didn't have that kind of time. Unfortunately, there would be no rich nobles in Tien's Landing, no frivolous young men or high class courtesans. These were poor farmers and fishermen. Short of robbing Minister Sheng himself, which didn't seem practical since his office was right next to the jail, the prospects didn't look good.

Sky was about to give up when he spotted her. A middle-aged woman walked through the crowd at the far end of the square, casually looking over the available wares. Her clothing was simple, brown padded armor with a red kerchief tied over her hair, but her bearing was proud. She was no cowering peasant; more likely she was a sailor from one of the ships docked in town. It was an unusual profession for a woman but not unheard of. The important thing was that she would almost certainly have silver.

Keeping her in his sights, Sky walked to the nearest stall and glanced over the available items. A sword, a staff, a few poor quality gems. Nothing special. He pretended to look over a longsword as he watched the woman out of the corner of his eye.

She was walking towards him. Good.

Returning the sword to its place, he left the stall and began moving towards the woman; to the casual observer he appeared to be browsing. He was almost to the edge of the square when they passed each other. With his eyes wandering the stalls, he carelessly bumped into her. One hand reached out to steady her while the other used a small knife to cut her purse strings.

"Sorry," he mumbled before slipping through the crowd and away from the square.

When he reached the path to the teahouse, Sky knelt to tuck the pouch into his boot. He would stop for some food and then head back to the camp. Hopefully he and Lienn would be able to come up with something resembling a plan.

Although what kind of plan would get them into a Guild stronghold and out with two rescued prisoners he had no idea.

As he rose, however, all his thoughts focused on the more immediate problem of the blade that had suddenly appeared at his throat.

"I have no wish to harm you," a soft voice said evenly, "but you _will_ return my money."

* * *

_This is ridiculous,_ Lienn thought and rose from her bedroll.

She had no idea how long she been lying there, simply staring up at the sky and replaying the events of the last day in her head. Yesterday she had been so excited to be going on an adventure, but now that the adventure had taken on a life of its own, she was terrified. Was this the great destiny she had so looked forward to? Deadly ghosts, prophetic visions, brigands, slavers, and her caught in the middle?

"Be careful what you wish for," she muttered dryly.

Well, one thing was certain; she wouldn't accomplish anything just lying here. If she wasn't going to sleep, she may as well go help Sky.

She rose, straightening the dark blue silk of her garments, and headed in the direction he had left. She wasn't entirely sure where he was going, but he'd said the town wasn't that big. She'd just wander until she spotted him.

Skirting the edge of the derelict building they were camped by, Lienn spotted a narrow stone trail sloping down toward a small river. She walked at a comfortable pace, enjoying the brightness of the late-afternoon sun and the beauty of the countryside. She crossed a rough wooden bridge, which wasn't much more than a few logs lashed together, and smiled as the cool river mist sprayed her face; it reminded her of the beach near Two Rivers where she and Dawn Star would sit and study.

It was strange, but despite the fact that she'd only been gone a day, she was homesick. She missed her classmates, especially Dawn Star. She missed Lin's constant chatter and the way Kia Min was always trying to best her in fighting practice. She missed Smiling Mountain with his fun little training exercises and the way the younger students looked up to her. She even missed that slimy merchant Fen Do.

Lienn paused. Okay, maybe she didn't miss him, but she still missed everyone else.

She missed the beach, the town, the school… So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours that it felt like ages since she'd seen them all. And rather abruptly she realized that she might not see them again for some time. Even if she knew how to get back, she couldn't return without Master Li. She wouldn't.

_But what if you can't rescue him?_ a voice in her mind nagged.

She tried to push it away, but it had already taken root in her thoughts. She knew it was possible. The slavers might sell him. Or kill him. In fact, he could already be dead.

But that was a possibility she wasn't prepared to face. Not yet.

Pulling herself away from those dark thoughts, she looked up to realize that she had no idea where she was. With her mind wandering she hadn't paid attention to where she was going and now she was standing in front of an enormous building.

_This must be the teahouse,_ she realized as she gazed up at it.

She was about to go inside when the clash of steel on steel caught her attention. Curious, she followed the sound around the side of the building to a small, grassy clearing just off the main trail. As she rounded the bend, she spotted Sky locked in combat with a woman in padded armor. As Lienn jogged towards them, the woman sent both of Sky's blades skittering across the path. A kick to the chest found him crashing to the ground after them.

Pulling her longsword, Lienn leapt at the assailant, knocking aside the woman's blade as she leveled it at Sky's chin. The stranger was surprised, but took the intrusion in stride and turned to face her new opponent.

They circled each other a moment, cautiously testing one another's defenses, before beginning to battle in earnest. Slash, duck, parry, thrust… Around they went in a whirlwind of steel, each of them trying to gain the upper hand but neither of them doing so. A few minor attacks got through, but neither of them suffered more than a few small cuts.

They had been fighting a few minutes when Lienn realized that Sky was still lying in the grass. He didn't seem to be conscious. Worried, she decided it was time to end this. Remembering a special move Master Li had taught her, she realized what she had to do.

Wielding her blade two-handed, Lienn struck hard and fast, forcing her opponent's sword to go wide. As it moved out of position, she stepped in close and caught the woman's wrist in her left hand. Twisting her body, she pressed her back to her adversary's front and pitched forward, throwing the woman over her shoulder. As the woman landed prone on her back, Lienn leveled two blades at her, having twisted the woman's weapon away as she fell.

Shock was the dominant emotion on the woman's face as she raised her hands in supplication. "I yield."

Keeping one eye on her opponent, Lienn turned and rushed over to Sky. Tilting his head, she found sticky blood matting his hair. It was easy to see where his skull had struck the sharp rock, but as she gently probed the wound, she was relieved to find that it wasn't very deep.

"Sky?"

He groaned and blinked up at her. "That hurt," he mumbled.

"I can see that. Can you sit up?" Supporting his shoulder, she helped him into a sitting position. "What happened?"

"We had a misunderstanding," he grumbled.

"I caught him picking my pocket," the woman stated dryly.

Lienn looked from one to the other. "You robbed her?" she asked her companion.

He shrugged. "I needed the silver."

"Why didn't you just ask me? I have some silver."

"Now you tell me," he muttered crossly.

"Well, give the lady back her money," Lienn ordered, turning back to the stranger. The woman was now standing nearby watching them. "I'm really sorry."

"That's all right," she replied, gazing at her intently. "Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Hui. Tell me, young woman, what is your master's name?"

Alarms seemed to ring in Lienn's mind. Who was this woman? Surely she couldn't know… "Why do you have an interest in that?"

"I am charged with finding the protégé of a dear friend. After seeing you fight, I have no doubt. I fought under his command. I see his teachings in your moves. Sun Li is your master, and you are the one I am to meet."

"Sun Li?" Sky gaped, his injury instantly forgotten. "The Glorious Strategist? _He's_ your 'Master Li'?"

Slowly, Lienn nodded, then turned back to Hui. "Master Li told me who he was because I am his student. How do you know?"

"I served under Sun Li and was one of a few soldiers he trusted enough to contact after Dirge fell. Li knew the events there would have great consequences," Hui explained. "He told me of the weeks-long siege and how Spirit Monks were slaughtered so his brother could take their temple. It was madness… The Emperor slew the Water Dragon itself!"

"The Water Dragon?" Sky asked. "The Goddess of Rebirth?"

Hui nodded confirmation, but Lienn was confused. "The Emperor killed a goddess?"

"There are many beings that exist beyond our experience," the soldier told her. "The heavens are governed by a Celestial Bureaucracy. Each facet of existence is managed by a specialized attendant. Most appear to have little influence, but some, like the Water Dragon, have a portfolio that grants exceptional status. She was said to have governance over the Great Wheel. She was not a maker, but all life that ended passed her gaze before returning to the earth in another form.

"Sun Hai sought rebirth for his empire at the cost of the natural order. Her body was taken to the palace as a grim trophy of the power that ended the Long Drought. All the while, the people hailed the Emperor as a hero, ignorant of the price," she concluded, her voice full of disgust.

Sky shook his head in shock. "The Emperor killed the Shepherd of the Dead…? It's unthinkable…"

"No shepherd… no guardians…" Lienn murmured, unable to recall where she'd heard those words, but knowing it was somehow important. "The ghosts, the corruption of the spirit realm… that's what caused it? The Emperor slaughtered my people so he could steal the Water Dragon's power?"

"Even a god is not invincible," Hui said. "They have their place and it can be challenged. Sun Li couldn't stop the slaughter of the Spirit Monks. He fled the battle with you in his arms."

Sky turned sharply to his companion. "Then you're…?"

"I'm a Spirit Monk," Lienn said quietly. "And I am the last." A hush fell over the trio in the wake of her declaration and a deep sadness seemed to hang in the air around them.

Finally, Hui broke the silence. "Come. We'll go to the teahouse and talk. There is much to say."

Lienn nodded numbly and turned to offer Sky a hand up. As he rose from where he'd fallen she asked, "How's your head?"

"It stings... You're really a Spirit Monk?"

"I really am," she said quietly. "Master Li rescued me from the temple as it burned. He took me to Two Rivers and raised me. He trained me, protected me; he's like a father to me. He and my friend, Dawn Star, are the only family I've ever known." With that they lapsed back into silence as they followed Hui to the teahouse.

An old woman with kind eyes greeted them at the door. "Hui, it's so nice to see you, dear."

"Hello, Mother Kwan, is there a table available?"

"Of course, my dear, right this way." The old woman led them to a small, secluded table in the corner. She arranged small porcelain tea cups on the table, then looked to Lienn and Sky as they seated themselves cross-legged on the floor. "My, aren't you a lovely couple. Welcome to my teahouse. My name is Kwan, but everyone calls me Old Mother Kwan. I'd like you to call me that, too, okay? Oh!" Her hand fluttered to her throat as she caught sight of Sky's head wound. "Oh my, do you know you're bleeding, dear?"

"I had an accident. Could I bother you for a damp towel?" he asked.

The old woman melted at the charming smile he offered her. "Yes, of course, I'll be right back." Old Mother Kwan headed off and they were once again alone. Unfortunately, now none of them seem sure as to what to say.

Hui decided to settle on the obvious question. "What are your names?"

Lienn looked startled, then laughed. "Sorry, I guess we forgot that part, didn't we? I'm Lienn, and you've already met Sky…" She paused as realization dawned on her, then blurted, "You're the one we were coming to see!"

Hui was clearly surprised. "You were looking for me?"

"No, well, yes… I mean, Master Li told me we were coming to Tien's Landing to see a friend of his. He must have meant you."

"Li is here?"

The younger woman's eyes darkened. "No. He was taken…"

Hui frowned darkly. "The Lotus Assassins, just as he thought. He knew they were always searching for him. They're right to fear him and his legacy."

"Lotus Assassins?" Lienn replied surprise. "No. It was slavers. Led by Gao the Greater,"

"Slavers?" Hui's brow furrowed in confusion. "It seems unlikely that common slavers would be able to stand against Sun Li."

"They weren't common slavers," Sky said. "I found out that Gao is the head of the Guild. They're running a slaving operation and pirate ring in the area."

"I was aware of the pirates," Hui said, "but I didn't know they were a part of the Guild. I suppose it makes sense though. They're more organized than most common thugs."

Sky nodded. "It also explains the flyers and exploding casks. That stuff doesn't come cheap."

"Exploding casks? Probably Dragon Powder," Hui commented.

"That's how they captured Master Li," Lienn explained. "They dropped it from an airship. The explosion knocked us out."

Hui nodded slowly. "If he was taken by the Guild, we may be able to rescue him. It's unlikely they know who he really is, which gives us the advantage."

"You'll help us?" Lienn asked hopefully.

"Sun Li is a good friend and I owe him much," the soldier said. "Yes, I'll help you."

Lienn smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

"Thank me when we get him back," Hui answered. "He'll probably try to escape, assuming he isn't too gravely injured, but if the Guild finds out who he truly is, they will sell him to the Lotus Assassins. We need to get to him first."

"Do you really think they'll find out he's the emperor's brother? Everyone thinks the Glorious Strategist is dead," Sky said.

"Not everyone. Most people believe that Sun Li fell at Dirge, but that lie was spread by the Emperor. He's had his Lotus Assassins searching for Li all these long years. All the Assassins know is that Li betrayed the Empire and must be captured. Only a handful of us know the full story and the terrible price of his rebellion."

That caught Lienn's attention. "What price?"

Hui glanced up, alarm in her eyes. She seemed to suddenly be wondering if she'd said too much. But it was too late to take it back, so she pressed on. "Li's wife was with child, his daughter born in the palace while he was at Dirge. He never saw her. Within weeks of the siege, the Emperor had Li's family… executed."

Lienn gasped. Sky grimaced, thinking of his own missing child.

"Why did Master Li do this?" Lienn asked. "What's so special about me?"

Hui sighed. "He probably didn't think his family would be harmed. But even had he known, he might still have saved you. Li knows that you have a destiny to fulfill. You are the last of your kind."

"I just can't imagine why he gave up so much for me."

"Well, perhaps you can ask when we rescue him," Hui said. "We need to find out where he was taken."

"I may know," Sky answered. "An acquaintance of mine in town thinks Gao's operating from a pagoda down river."

Hui nodded thoughtfully. "I know the one. I've seen fliers coming and going from it. Why don't you two have some tea? I'm going to talk to Ru the Boatswain; he might be able to take us there on his barge."

As Hui rose and headed up the stairs to the second level, Old Mother Kwan arrived with a tray. "I've brought you tea and some towels…" Lienn took the offered towels and moved to Sky's side; gently she began working the drying blood from his hair. Kwan smiled. "It's so good to see a young couple just starting out. It's so sweet the way you dote on each other…"

Lienn looked up, startled. "But we're not—"

"We're not a normal couple," Sky interrupted smoothly.

"There's no such thing as a 'normal' couple," Mother Kwan answered indulgently. "It's just such a delight to see young people in love. But here I'm talking your ears off when you must be hungry. Would you like me to bring some food? Our chef does a lovely noodle bowl."

"That sounds perfect," Sky answered, then turned to face Lienn's accusing stare as the old woman retreated. "Something wrong, love?"

"Why did you lie to her?"

"I didn't. We aren't a 'normal couple', are we?" he replied with amusement.

"But you let her believe we were involved."

"We are involved."

"Not like that!"

Sky smirked. "Am I that repulsive?"

Lienn rolled her eyes and went back to tending his head. "I just don't like lying to that nice old lady."

"As I said, I didn't lie. I just misled her a little. It's better this way."

"How do you figure that?"

"It gives us a good excuse to travel together, one that people won't question. And as an added bonus, it will confuse Gao's men if they come looking for us. They'll have no idea whether they're looking for a man alone, a married couple, a group… Misdirection can be a very useful tool."

Lienn raised an eyebrow and asked in a coy tone, "So, we're married now, are we? I'm sorry I missed the wedding."

"Be sorry you missed the honeymoon," he quipped, flushing in embarrassment as he realized what he'd said a moment too late to stop himself.

Lienn blinked in surprise, then blushed a flaming red as the implication sunk in. She opened her mouth to reply, thought better of it, and fell silent, shooting an awkward half-smile in his direction.

* * *

"Are you sure we can trust this man?" Sky asked crossly as they walked along the boardwalk toward the pier the next morning. "I've met Ru once or twice, and each time he'd had so much wine I felt drunk just breathing the same air as him."

"He seems to sincerely want to help," Hui answered. "But regardless, I doubt we could find anyone else who would risk the journey."

Lienn listened to them squabble in silence; she had never met Ru and had nothing to contribute. She wasn't thrilled at the idea of going out on a boat with a drunkard, but she knew their options were limited. So long as it got her to Master Li, she was satisfied.

As they approached Ru, however, she began to rethink that position.

Ru was a large man with a big belly and an eye patch. He wore only a pair of shorts and sandals, and his skin was well-tanned from spending his days under the hot sun. However, the way his feet shuffled as he walked and the glazed look in his good eye worried her. As they got closer, Sky's comment about the air took on a whole new meaning; Lienn could smell the alcohol fumes rolling off him.

He offered a toothy grin when he spotted them and waved in that exaggerated manner drunk people had. "There you are! I confess that once I got down here, I wasn't sure I'd actually met you. Too much wine in me. I thought you might have been a dream. But, here you are!

"I can take you to the pirates if you still want to go. Everything is ready. I've checked the barge, checked our supplies, sampled the wine… You never want to travel with bad wine."

Sky leaned over, speaking just loud enough for Hui to hear. "Are you _sure_ he's the only one who can take us?"

She nodded.

He answered with a despondent sigh. "Take us to the pirate camp."

"Let's go, then! " Ru answered cheerfully. "And if the pirates slit your throats and dump your bodies in the river, I'll bring you back to town for a nice burial. But if they leave your bodies on land, you're out of luck."

Sky and Lienn hung back a moment as Hui followed Ru down the dock. "I hope we don't regret this," he murmured to his companion.

"I don't see that we have much choice," she replied.

He sighed again and let her lead him to the waiting barge.

* * *

The day was warm and sunny. Lienn thought it seemed rather incongruous with the grimness of their task. A rescue mission to an enemy fortress should warrant a storm, or at least some dark clouds and wind. Still, the gentle rocking of the barge was soothing and the breeze pleasantly ruffled the dark strands of hair that had come loose from her bun. It was a welcome respite from the chaos that had followed her since she'd left Two Rivers.

She glanced up as a shadow fell over her and found Hui settling down beside her. "You look troubled," the older woman said. "Are you worried about our mission or the destiny waiting for you?"

"Neither. Both. I don't know." Lienn sighed tiredly. "I've seen so much, learned so much in the last few days. I suppose I'm having trouble absorbing it all. How do you come to terms with being the last of a slaughtered people?"

"Li never told you about what happened at Dirge?"

"No. I'd never even heard of Dirge until two days ago." She paused. "How is that? Why hasn't anyone mentioned the burning of Dirge before?"

"Few people know what happened," Hui explained. "Dirge is a remote temple located high in the mountains. There were no worshippers, save for the Spirit Monks themselves. The Emperor covered up his terrible crime, and the people didn't really care. All that mattered was that the drought was over."

"Because the Emperor killed the Water Dragon." Lienn frowned. "I don't understand; how could he kill a god? Aren't they immortal?"

"The Water Dragon's power was tied to her temple at Dirge and the strength of her servants. When the Spirit Monks were slain and Dirge fell, she became vulnerable. Her physical form could be injured, but she was also a god. Maybe her spirit still exists; I don't know. I'm no expert on the heavens.

"In truth, I think much of this would have been better explained to you by a philosopher. I don't know much about the Celestial Bureaucracy, and Li only told me enough about the Spirit Monks to complete my task."

Lienn looked at the soldier curiously. "What task?"

Hui looked puzzled for a moment before beginning to laugh quietly. "With everything that's been happening I forgot to tell you why I was waiting for you. And after I'd been preparing for this day for well over a decade…"

"You were waiting for me?"

"Yes. Sun Li gave me instructions to await you if… if anything should happen."

"Are you saying Master Li knew he would be kidnapped?" Lienn asked incredulously.

"The full extent of what the Glorious Strategist knows is beyond my ability to comprehend. He is without peer. All I know is that I had instructions to wait for you.

"Sun Li asked me to seek a piece of a special amulet he wanted you to have. It was broken apart and scattered when the Spirit Monk temple fell. He intended to – and I see that he did – give the main piece to you." Her fingertips brushed the bronze amulet fastened to Lienn's bodice. "Rumor placed a smaller part with a fleeing apprentice monk, but it had been some years and the trail was cold."

"So you searched for the rest of my amulet?"

Hui nodded. "I eventually learned the monk had fled to Old Tien's Landing. He was there a year or so, but died of lingering injuries and was buried with his possessions unsorted. It was rushed at the time because the new dam was due to close and Old Tien's would become a watery tomb. The amulet was beyond reach, so I went to the new town and waited."

Lienn frowned in concern. "How am I supposed to find the amulet piece if it's lost underwater?"

"I don't know, but when we return to town we have to find a way. We need to reach it before the Lotus Assassins find it and take it to the Emperor."

"Why would the Emperor want it?"

"I'm not certain," Hui admitted, "but any aid to you is likely a threat to him."

Lienn pondered this new problem for a moment. "Do you know of anyone in town who can help?"

"I'm not—"

"I can take you no further," Ru suddenly announced.

Looking up, they found that the barge was shored on the beach, hidden from view by some large boulders. Nearby a large black ship with fan-shaped sails was docked, and some rough-looking sailors were hauling cargo down a pier toward the entrance to a large cavern.

"Be wary in this place; pirates are everywhere," the boatswain warned.

Lienn didn't find the pirates half as intimidating as the enormous pagoda that loomed over them. It rose endlessly into the sky, dark and terrifying; an unspoken threat to anyone who dared oppose the Guild. "Wait here for us," she said quietly.

"Of course. You can count on me. If any pirates come by and try to take my barge, I'll show 'em how well I use my paddle," Ru stated cheerfully. "Good luck in there, and if you need to leave in a hurry, just come running."

Abandoning the boatswain, Lienn, Hui, and Sky crept along the beach, carefully ducking behind the rocks and crawling through the tall grass to remain hidden from the nearby pirates. Lienn had to force herself to stop staring at the menacing crimson sails of the ship and focus on the pirates themselves. They were a frightening lot; both male and female, in rough clothes and armed with more weapons than she could count.

The trio crouched in a great rocky outcropping that shielded them from view and spent several moments studying the pirates as they hauled cargo into the cavern.

"How many do you think there are?" Lienn asked.

"It's hard to say since they keep moving," Sky answered. "There's got to be at least twenty."

"And probably more inside," Hui added. "If even one manages to sound the alarm we'll be overwhelmed within moments."

"I doubt we can take all of them without being noticed," Lienn said ruefully. "Which means—"

"—that we need another way in," Sky finished. He turned, his gaze searching the sand-colored stones as though they held the solution to their problems. As it happened, they did. "There," he pointed. He crept towards the rock face and gently ran his hands along it until he found a shelf just large enough for a foot. "I can climb over that ledge and go around the dock. Maybe there's a back entrance."

"Or maybe you'll fall into the river and drown," Lienn replied sarcastically.

"Well, we won't know unless we try. Besides, it's not like there's a lot of options."

"Unfortunately, he has a point," Hui interjected. "If there is a chance that we can enter without being spotted, it is worth exploring."

"Wait here; I'll scout it out a bit."

"I hope you are a better scout than pickpocket," Hui remarked dryly.

"You wound me," he answered, a dramatic hand clutching his heart. "I'll be back in a bit. No worries."

Lienn was unconvinced, but that didn't stop Sky from placing a foot on the shelf and hoisting himself onto the cliff wall. "Be careful," she said, concern evident in her tone.

He threw her a confident smile and disappeared over the rocks.

"Come. We should rest while we can," Hui said and guided her towards a nearby tree. Once they were seated in the shade, Hui looked to Lienn curiously. "There is something that has been troubling me. You said that you and Li were on your way to Tien's Landing when you were attacked."

"That's right."

"Why were you going there?"

Lienn blinked. "To see you, I assume. Master Li only said that he had a friend there he needed to speak with." Hui slipped into a puzzled silence, and Lienn frowned. "What's wrong?"

The older woman shook her head. "I'm not certain. Li asked me to await you in Tien's Landing, but I wasn't expecting him to accompany you. Actually, I was under the impression that I was part of his contingency plan in case he was captured by the Lotus Assassins."

"Do you think the Assassins found out where he was? Is that why we were coming?"

"I don't know. Li's planning and foresight is practically preternatural. If he suspected they had found him, he might have decided to spirit you away." She paused a moment before murmuring to herself, "My old friend will have a great many questions to answer when we reach him."

They lapsed into silence for a short time before Lienn asked, "How long has Sky been gone?"

"Quite a while. Perhaps he's been captured."

Lienn peered around a nearby rock. "The activity seems to have died down. Maybe we should take a closer look."

Together they crept forward, cautiously glancing about. When they reached a wooden walkway, they rose. The area was clear. There were no sailors, no slaves. The ship floated silently at the end of the dock.

"I guess everyone has gone inside," Lienn commented.

"Not everyone."

The two women turned as one and found themselves facing a dozen rowdy-looking pirates.

"So much for the element of surprise," Lienn muttered. Then, more loudly, "I don't suppose you'd like to work out a peaceful solution."

The hiss of drawn steel answered her.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: _Jade Empire_ still belongs to Bioware. Do you think they'd give it to me if I asked _really_ nicely?

_**Chapter 4**_

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Sky muttered as he clung to the rock face by his fingertips. Spotting another handhold slightly higher up, he reached out for it and hauled himself upward.

At first the climb had been easy as he traveled smoothly from boulder to boulder. It had become more challenging as the path became steeper, but still it had given him little trouble. But then, somehow, he'd found himself facing a vertical cliff face with no way down. Not seeing any other option, he had begun carefully scaling the wall.

"Lienn can never find out about this," he grumbled crossly.

Actually, he wasn't doing too badly, all things considered. His arms ached and his shoulders were sore, but he was nearly to the top. Craning his neck back, he could see the inviting summit just a few feet away. He took a deep breath, reminded himself not to look down, and pulled himself up another length.

Moments later he rolled up onto the cliff top and lay on his back, gasping. He considered peeking over the side to see just how far he had climbed but feared that if he did he'd never find the courage to climb back down. He was already dreading the thought.

After a brief respite to catch his breath, Sky rose and looked around. The cliff had leveled to a wide plateau into which the giant pagoda had been built. Its walls were blood red, and it seemed to be made up of multiple structures connected at certain points by open walkways. The entire complex loomed over him like a great rearing dragon, and while it was certainly large enough to house such a beast, he doubted Gao the Greater would have enough power to ally himself with one.

He hoped.

But dragon or no, this place would definitely be deadly. He would have to tread lightly.

Keeping in the shadow of the great fortress, he began exploring his surroundings. What he needed was a way into the pagoda, but as nearly as he could tell, it had been built directly into the rock face. He examined the outer wall as he went, hoping to find a hidden catch or doorway, but there was nothing save the cool lacquered boards of the exterior. He considered trying to pry one off, but it would be better if he went unnoticed. Besides, he doubted the leader of a major crime syndicate would rely on nothing but a few wooden boards to protect him from his enemies. There was no telling what kind of traps or magic might protect this place.

Sky rounded the corner of the building and reeled back as he found himself at the edge of another cliff. Peering cautiously over the edge, he found that the drop was nowhere near as high as he'd climbed on the other side. A wide ledge flanked the opening to a large cave, and he could hear voices coming from within.

"Must be the back entrance to the cavern," he murmured to himself.

He was debating whether he could make the jump to the ledge safely when a figure walked out of the cavern. Sky froze, flattening himself against the fortress wall. The pirate never even glanced up; he simply walked to the edge of the cliff and began to relieve himself.

Sky smirked.

Silently, he dropped from his perch, landing in a crouch behind the oblivious pirate. Coming up behind his prey, he drew a small knife from the sash around his waist and poised it at the man's throat. "Talk about being caught with your pants down," he taunted. "How undignified."

"W-Who are you?" the terrified guard stammered.

"I'll be asking the questions. And I'd better like the answers or you'll be losing a whole lot more than your dignity." He waited a moment for his meaning to sink in and then began the questioning in earnest. "How many guards in the fortress?"

"I don't know. Dozens… You'll never get past them all—" He fell silent as Sky pressed the blade a bit more firmly against his skin.

"Spare me the commentary. Where are the prisoners kept?"

"Cages… in the cavern below."

"The slaves, too?"

"A-All of them," the pirate stammered. "Well, unless the slave breaker has them. Then they're…"

"Where?" Sky demanded, his knife drawing a slight trickle of blood from his captive. He was practically shaking with rage at the thought of what a slave breaker might do to his little girl.

"T-There's a cave… higher up… That's w-where he takes them to be broken."

"Higher where?"

"Near the entrance to the fortress. You have to go up the ramps, but you won't be able to get through the door. You need two people…"

"Tell me how to get past it. Now!"

The man rambled briefly about a mechanical door and someone called Kang the Mad before he dissolved into gibbering pleas for mercy.

Sky sighed, realizing he'd get no more use out of the pathetic sailor. Hopefully it would be enough.

Lowering his blade, he gave the man a good hard shove and sent him careening over the side of the cliff. A loud splash told him when the man landed, but a part of him dearly hoped the bastard would drown. He had no mercy to offer kidnappers and slavers.

* * *

"Ok, put down your weapons, nice and slow," the lead pirate ordered as his companions fanned out, effectively surrounding them.

Hui and Lienn exchanged a glance before unsheathing their swords and slowly setting them on the ground at their feet.

The pirate smirked. "Good girls. Better to make this easy on all of us." He stepped forward and bent down to collect them…

…and a vicious kick to the jaw sent him sprawling into his comrades.

The sailors only hesitated a moment before drawing their own weapons, but a moment was all the women needed. A flying leap sent Lienn over their heads so that she was only facing enemies on one side, while Hui launched a sweeping area attack that left half of their assailants paralyzed.

Switching to an aggressive martial arts style her master had taught her, razor sharp claws seemed to spring from Lienn's knuckles, and she tore into her nearest attacker. He was dead within moments, and she turned to block another man's blade. The sword glanced harmlessly away as her forearm connected with her attacker's wrist, and a kick to the side sent him sprawling into the dirt.

She drove forward, taking on three sailors at once. Careful positioning allowed her to strike more than one opponent with each blow while simultaneously ensuring that any attack on her would cause them to collide with each other. It also let her use each of their bodies as a shield against the others, forcing them to harm their allies in order to strike her. The strategy was quite successful, and within moments the ground was littered with her fallen enemies.

Hui managed to strike down two of the pirates before their paralysis wore off. Finding herself surrounded, she dodged and weaved, carefully avoiding blows from all directions. The occasional slash would make contact, but none of the injuries were serious enough to impede her movement.

A gap opened between two of the pirates and Hui tumbled between them. With all her attackers on the same front, she drew deeply on her inner life force, her chi, and allowed it to surge outward. Smoke began to rise from the ground around her and suddenly the sooty form of a dragon rose from the ground and curled itself around her body, spewing fire at her attackers. Two were immolated instantly as the other two dove away from the impromptu inferno.

Lienn was staring at the fiery spectacle in surprise when a blow from behind sent her stumbling forward; she ignored the pain that tore up her spine, somersaulted into a standing position, and turned to face him. His strikes were lightning quick, and for a moment she was forced to simply stand and defend herself. There was a brief pause as he shifted his stance and, realizing he was changing styles, she took the opportunity to slip under his guard and launch her own offensive. With focused precision she struck each of his most vulnerable points in quick succession – eyes, throat, solar plexus, groin. As intended, the sensory overload was more than he could endure, and the pirate fell to the ground, unconscious.

The women made easy work of the two remaining pirates, who were still reeling from their encounter with the dragon, and then stopped to assess the situation.

"Well, you certainly fight like Li's top student," Hui noted with a hint of pride.

"I try," Lienn answered, drawing on her chi to heal the minor injuries she'd received. "But nothing I did was half as impressive as that dragon. How did you do it? I've never seen anything like that before."

"I didn't actually summon a dragon," Hui replied. "It's a magic style. There are several different kinds that can control various natural forces: ice, wind, stone. This one is called _Dire Flame_. The basis is that emotions that burn within us can also be directed outward. When using a great deal of power, the dragon image serves as a sort of conduit to focus the fire. In its simplest form, _Dire Flame_ can be used to shoot fireballs at an enemy."

"Ah." Lienn nodded, remembering the ghost that had thrown fire at her. At the time she'd thought it was an otherworldly power, but now she recalled hearing about magic and transformation fighting styles with fantastic effects. "Master Li told me about magical styles, but he wouldn't teach me any."

"I'm not surprised. Certain lessons had to be withheld until you were ready for the attention they would bring. I would be glad to instruct you in them if you wish to learn."

Lienn grinned. "You can teach me to throw fireballs?"

"If you like. But now isn't the time. We've lost the element of surprise, and it won't take long for someone to come looking for their missing fighters. So the question becomes: do we follow the thief and try to sneak in, or simply walk through the front door?"

Lienn sighed and stared at the rock face Sky had disappeared over. "There's no telling where that path leads, and we can't wait for Sky to come back and tell us. I was hoping to avoid a frontal assault, but I don't think we have much choice now. Do you?"

Hui shook her head. "Whether we stay or go, it's going to be a fight. I, for one, would prefer to take the fight to them."

Lienn nodded. "All right then." She retrieved their swords from where they'd been dropped and offered Hui her weapon. "Into the lion's den."

* * *

Crouching low, Sky crept through the hidden entrance and found himself on a ledge high above the cavern. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dim torch light that flickered gloomily against the stone walls, but as his vision cleared, he realized that he had inadvertently found the best position from which to observe the cave. He noted a lever built into the wall near his perch, recognizing it as part of the door mechanism his hostage had described, but ignored it for the moment. Most of his attention was focused on the cage far below him. It was built into the cavern wall, and while he could see that there were people locked inside, he couldn't tell if Pinmei was one of them.

Anger clutched his heart, cold and deadly. This was no isolated incident. From the amount of movement there looked to be at least fifteen people crammed into that tiny cage. The thought of it, women and children, the old and infirm, treated like animals… Worse than animals…

_Pinmei…_

He could picture his little girl trapped in there, crushed between strangers with barely enough room to move, helpless and terrified… In that moment he wanted nothing more than to see Gao the Greater beg for death at his feet.

But first, his daughter. He had to release the prisoners. Fortunately for him, there was only a single sailor standing guard, and he seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep.

With agility that would have made any acrobat proud, Sky leapt from his perch and cut down the guard before anyone knew he was there. A slash of his swords and the lock on the cage fell away. Frightened peasant came scrambling out, but a shout of alarm drew his attention away from them. Half a dozen pirates, having apparently heard the commotion, came rushing in, swords drawn.

"He freed the slaves!" one vicious looking man cried. "You'll pay for that, maggot!"

"Will I?" Sky answered dryly. "If you scum have any sense at all, you'll stand aside. Release these people and let me go drive a blade through your master's throat, and I'll forget I saw you."

"Oh, certainly! We'll just sit back and let you stroll upstairs to kill our leader. Would it help if we drew you a map to his room?" the pirate answered sarcastically.

"Uh… I don't think Gao would like that," one of his thugs commented stupidly. Sky snickered in wry amusement.

"I wasn't serious, you idiot!" the leader yelled in exasperation. "We're going to kill this intruder and go back to our drinking. He's just one man; he can't beat all of us."

A familiar figure appeared at the entrance to the cavern, and Sky couldn't suppress a smirk. "Take a look around. The odds are not so much in your favor. There's still a chance for you to run."

"What are you talking about, fool?"

"You haven't noticed my partner over there watching us?" Sky answered, gesturing to Lienn's timely arrival. "Don't let her grace and beauty fool you; she's deadly. This is your last chance to get out of here alive."

"So the thief brought a friend. That just means you won't die alone. Attack!"

Lienn and Sky were already moving when the attack order left the slaver's lips, and each leapt at the man nearest them, swords drawn. The first two pirates were cut down quickly, clearly surprised at the swiftness of the attack. The remaining four heeded the lesson of their fallen comrades and launched themselves at the invaders without hesitation.

Sky and Lienn were at a definite disadvantage; the unevenness of the rocky floor impeded their balance, and there were a number of barrels and crates about that restricted their movements. Dodging the assorted debris and keeping the pirates away from the scattering prisoners was no easy task.

Lienn's longsword flashed as she backed steadily toward the interior of the cave, hoping to draw the slavers' attention away from the former prisoners. Her plan was a little too successful and she found herself fighting three of the remaining four slavers. Surrounded on all sides, she managed to duck two of their swords before the third's staff landed a fierce jab to her lower back. Her whole body jerked and her back arched unpleasantly as pain shot up the entire length of her spine. As if trying to compensate for being stretched too far, she suddenly found her body slumping forward, desperate for relief. Luckily for her, the sudden movement set the next two attacks off and thrusts that could have impaled her simply grazed her arm and hip.

Rather than trying to pull back, she used her downward momentum to fall between the two swordsmen and tumbled gracefully away from them. A cartwheel gave her room to breathe, but as the trio advanced, Lienn found that she had inadvertently backed herself into a large stack of crates. It was a small improvement, as they no longer had her flanked, but from this position she'd have to be entirely on the defensive, and even she couldn't hold them off forever.

Absently, she hoped that Sky was doing better than she was.

On the far side of the cave, Sky was dueling with the lead pirate. As he used both his blades to parry a staggering blow, Sky was forced to admit that while his opponent was not terribly smart, he was certainly strong. The two were fairly evenly matched; what Sky lacked in strength he made up for in speed. Unfortunately, this meant that he was only doing minor damage to his opponent, slipping quick strikes under the slaver's guard as the man prepared each attack. With things as they stood, the battle could conceivably go on for hours.

However, Sky had two things his opponent lacked: intelligence and focus. Years of thieving had given him the ability to take in dozens of minute details in an instant; it was an essential skill when pick-pocketing. Now he put it to good use, focusing in on every aspect of his opponent. From the position of his feet and the distribution of his weight, it was obvious that the slaver intended to execute a vicious two-handed slash. But doing so would leave his left side wide open. With almost supernatural speed, Sky raised one sword to parry the blow, used the other to slash open his opponent's midriff, and shifting his weight, landed a solid kick to the slaver's left side. The man went down, skidding across the cavern floor, and didn't rise.

Sky took a step towards him, intending to check whether he was dead, when he noticed that three of the pirates had Lienn penned in. Ignoring the fallen leader, he rushed across the cave to his companion's aid. With a single fluid slash from his blades, he cut down the middle pirate from behind, evening the odds. As the remaining two turned in shock, seeking the source of this new attack, Lienn lashed out, and her longsword drove through the abdomen of the pirate on her right. The remaining sailor struck at Sky in a blind panic; Sky easily deflected the attack while Lienn dealt the death blow. The pair gazed at each other in relief and finally let themselves relax.

Sky returned his shortswords to the scabbard crisscrossing his back as Lienn stepped from the shelter of the crates. She seemed to be studying her left side, and he was concerned to see that her bodice was stained purple by the flow of her blood. "You're injured," he frowned.

"It's not bad, I—" Her voice failed as she looked up, her eyes widening in fear as she focused on something beyond him. Instantly she hurled herself at him, sending them crashing to the rocky floor with a painful jolt as projectiles whizzed over their heads and shattered against the cavern wall in a hail of icy shards.

As one they looked towards the source of the attack and found that the slaver captain had regained consciousness and was launching a series of icy bullets in their direction. Sky wrapped both arms tightly about Lienn and, carefully shielding her head against his shoulder, rolled them back towards the safety of the crates. Frozen pellets exploded over them, raining icy debris down upon them. One shot managed to find them, however, striking Sky's shoulder with a crack and sending them sliding into the wall with the force of the impact.

"Don't move," Sky whispered before rolling away from Lienn. But before he could rise to his feet, a well-placed fireball blew the captain across the room; his body hit the far wall with a sickening thud, and the charred form slumped to the ground. The pair peered curiously around the crates to find Hui walking calmly towards them.

"Forgive the delay," she said. "I had to dispatch some slavers who were trying to sneak up on us from behind."

"No complaints here," Sky answered with a grin. "Your timing is impeccable. Both of you," he added with a nod to Lienn.

"We aim to please," Lienn answered cheerfully. "Glad to see you made it. When you didn't come back I worried that you really had fallen into the river."

"No, I just took the long way around," he replied turning to the prisoners. Many were huddled in the now open cage for protection while others cowered behind boulders or in small niches in the cavern walls. "It's all right," he called. "You can all come out now. We've come to free you."

Slowly, they began to filter out of their hiding places. Men, women, and children all stumbled toward their rescuers, regarding them with obvious uncertainty. But as the trio scanned the sea of faces, the two they were searching for were not there.

"Is this everyone?" Lienn asked.

"No, my lady," an older woman replied. "The slave breaker took several prisoners away a short time ago."

"Was there a small girl or an old man among them?" Sky asked desperately.

"I'm not certain," she answered.

Hui nodded. "All right. The path is clear. Make your way down to the beach; there's a barge waiting which will take us all back to Tien's Landing. Just wait there and we'll be along once we've released the others."

There were many "Thank you"s and "Bless you"s as the prisoners filed past, but suddenly a familiar face in the crowd caught Lienn's attention and she grabbed the man by the sleeve.

"Hing?"

The nervous little driver looked up at her with wide eyes from under his huge reed hat. "Please, let me go. My Fen needs me; I have to go find her!"

Lienn rolled her eyes. He cared more about the damn ox than about the lives of the captives. "Fen is safe. I know where she is, and if you answer my questions I'll tell you."

Hing's jaw dropped. "You're holding my Fen hostage?"

"If that's what it takes, then yes," Sky answered, a harsh glint in his eyes. "Where is my daughter? The little girl from the farm where you were captured."

"They took the little girl earlier. I–I think the slave breaker may have her," he answered in a small voice. Sky's hand clenched reflexively, and the mad little driver took a step back.

"What about Master Li?" Lienn chimed in.

"I don't know where he is," he said, his frightened gaze turning to her. "Some men came yesterday and took him away. They never brought him back."

Lienn inhaled sharply and turned to Hui for support. The soldier put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Was he conscious? How bad were his injuries?" she asked solemnly.

Hing blinked. "He was awake. He said his injuries weren't that painful, but he didn't look well at all."

Hui nodded and patted Lienn's back reassuringly. "That's a good sign. Even injured Li would have put up a good fight. There may yet be hope."

Lienn nodded hesitantly and forced her thoughts to focus. Fear and doubt wouldn't help her master; she had to be strong. "All right," her voice wavered, though her mind was beginning to clear, "head down to the beach, Hing."

"But what about my Fen?" he whined.

"Fen's safe and sound in Tien's Landing," Lienn answered impatiently. "Go wait for us at the barge. We'll be there shortly." The trio ignored him as he darted down the passageway. "At least we know they're here. Now we just have to find them."

"There's a cave further up where they take slaves to be… broken," Sky's voice was bitter. "That's most likely where we'll find the other prisoners." _And Pinmei,_ he thought, though the words didn't need to be spoken. "But first we have to get past the door at the top of the stairs. Apparently, it locks through a fairly ingenious mechanism. Gao's engineer, Kang the Mad, designed it for security."

"I don't think of pirates as the ingenious type," Lienn noted.

"Oh, I don't know. They're good with knots," Sky replied with a smirk. "Kang the Mad is a crafty fellow. The door requires two to unlock it. Up high there is a platform with the release lever. The door must be operated while the lever is held forward. There used to be a sentry up there that handled that kind of thing, but he had an… accident."

Hui raised an eyebrow. "Would this be an accident that resulted in him telling you how the door works?"

Sky shrugged. "It's funny what you can learn if you just ask at the right time," he answered slyly, "like when you have a knife to someone's throat… Anyway, I can climb up and pull the lever easily enough. You two can open the door when it's unlocked."

"What's on the other side of the door?" Lienn asked.

"My guess would be servants willing to die for their master. We shouldn't have too much trouble helping them reach that goal." With that, Sky turned and began climbing nimbly toward the platform, using what was obviously torture equipment for support.

Resigned to what would no doubt become yet another battle, Lienn led the way up the long wooden staircase. At the top was a large stone door with a lion's head relief carved in the center. Lienn glanced back toward the platform and nodded to Sky, who pulled the lever. Uncertain of what else to do, Lienn pressed down hard on the lion's head. It receded, and she stepped back as it slowly began to turn of its own volition. When it had turned 180 degrees, the door parted in the middle and drew slowly back into the cavern wall.

Lienn could only stare for a moment, marveling at the complexity of what should be a simple door, but a strong hand on her shoulder coaxed her forward. She glanced at Hui, who nodded encouragement, and Sky, who was jogging swiftly up the stairs, and stepped through the doorway.

They found themselves alone on a wooden balcony overlooking the river. There was no sign of pirates or slaves, and the only option was to continue up the long, open stairway.

"I saw these walkways as I was climbing," Sky said quietly as they stood at the bottom. "There are at least half a dozen of them at various points connecting the buildings and the caves. We're going to have to be careful. It would be easy for them to pen us in. We'd have nowhere to go and no way to fight."

"We can't rescue anyone if they take us prisoner. Is there another way up?" Hui asked.

Sky shook his head. "Not that I saw. Unless one of you can fly, I think we're just going to have to be very careful."

Quickly, quietly, they ascended the long wooden ramp. To their relief, they saw no one along the way and within moments they were approaching the main entrance to the pagoda. The walls were stained red with intricately carved windows. They could hear voices coming from within and crouched low to avoid detection. Sky motioned for his companions to wait and crept silently around the corner of the building. There was a shout of alarm and a scuffling sound and a moment later Sky poked his head around the corner.

"All clear," he said, motioning for them to follow.

"What happened?" Hui asked. As they came around the corner, her question was answered by the pair of bodies lying prone on the walkway.

"They never saw me coming," Sky stated as he led them into the fortress.

What they had assumed was the main entrance seemed more like a cross between a living area and a laboratory. There was a sleeping area with a bed and chest, a chair and a few baskets. There was also a platform with a telescope, a strange construct consisting of various-sized metal rings rotating within each other, and an apparatus with crystals growing out of it that's function they couldn't even begin to imagine.

"Does anyone else get the feeling that Kang the Mad's name is well-earned?" Lienn asked as she leafed through a stack of schematics for who-knew-what.

"I wish there was time to make sense of it," Hui answered, "but…"

"But we have a rescue to affect," Sky finished. He nodded towards the far side of the room where a bamboo ramp led to a door cut high in the wall. "This way, I think."

Up another open walkway, they came to a landing that led into a large cave. Indistinct men's voices filtered out, followed by high-pitched sobs and a woman's screaming.

Sky's blood ran cold as he remembered what the pirate had told him. "The slave breaker," he murmured and sprinted toward the entrance.

Lienn tried to grab him before he went charging in, but he shrugged her off and raced into the cavern. Swearing under her breath, she saw no option but to follow. She sprinted after him, but as she entered the cave itself, she came to a screeching halt.

The scene before her was beyond horrifying.

The cavern was enormous and reeked of blood; a few torches along the walls provided just enough light to see by. In the center of the room was a platform upon which stood a tall, wooden chair. The chair was throne-like in shape, but the wide metal restraints that held the scarred and battered woman seated on it in place left no doubt about its true purpose. Her arms and legs were pinned down by thick chains and even her head was held immobile by an iron collar around her neck. Beside the chair was a brazier with various length handles poking out of it; Lienn's stomach turned as she realized they were torture devices being heated to burn their victims. She looked quickly away, only to notice the trail of dried blood that led from the chair to the exit where she stood.

She was still standing there, frozen, fighting the urge to vomit, when she was shoved roughly into the cavern wall. Finally coming out of her stupor, she realized that Hui had pushed her out of the way as battle had erupted around them.

For a moment, Lienn watched the scene unfold as if in slow motion. Sky's swords were slashing at a burly man who she assumed was the slave breaker he'd mentioned; Hui was fighting hand-to-hand against a pair of guards, while a trio of prisoners cowered against the far wall.

Righteous anger bloomed within her. This was monstrous, inhuman; it couldn't be allowed to continue.

Six more pirates came rushing into the cave, and with a shriek of rage Lienn launched herself at them. Her blade struck with greater speed and precision than it ever had before as she lunged and whirled around them, changing positions, changing targets, not offering them a moment's relief. With each attempt to pull back and regroup she responded with an ever more furious assault. It was clear that they weren't equipped to face an opponent of her caliber as one by one they fell to her onslaught.

Always before she had managed to remain detached from the battles she fought; she attacked with skill and determination, but always with the knowledge that she must do so to survive. This battle, however, was different. Confronted with the full extent of the malice and cruelty with which these slavers treated their prisoner, seeing for herself the agonies visited on the weak and helpless simply because they were incapable of defending themselves, was more than she could endure. The floodgates of her anger opened, and along with the determination to survive, each slash of her sword carried the full weight of her fury.

"Daddy!"

The cry caught Lienn's attention as she relieved one slaver of his head, and she glanced around to find the slave breaker withdrawing his blade from Sky's shoulder. Another wave of anger surged through her, and she flipped high over her last opponent's head and rushed to her friend's defense. The man just barely managed to parry her attack, but it was quickly apparent that there was no contest. His movements were wide and clumsy compared to the vicious precision of Lienn's blade. As he pulled back to strike, her sword drove straight through his throat.

She allowed herself a moment of grim satisfaction as his body slumped and turned to Sky, who had risen and retrieved his weapons.

"I'll be all right," he assured her as her eyes fell on his wounded shoulder.

She nodded, adjusting the grip on her sword as she prepared to resume the fight, when a loud voice stopped her.

"Enough!"

There was a pause in the fighting as the combatants turned and looked. One of the slavers had grabbed a little girl from the cluster of terrified slaves and was pressing a sword to her throat. A quick glance at Sky's ashen face told her that the child was Pinmei, and Lienn's heart sank.

"Put down your weapons or the girl dies." The man's voice was cold and ruthless; there was no doubt that he would follow through on his threat.

From next to her came the clang of metal on stone, and she was unsurprised to see that Sky had dropped his swords. There was a scuffling from the entrance as a dozen more guards came filing in, weapons drawn.

Turning her head, she saw that Hui was holding a man by the throat and looking to her for guidance. Sighing deeply in resignation, Lienn dropped her sword.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: _Jade Empire_ still belongs to Bioware. Do you think they'd give it to me if I asked _really_ nicely?

_**Chapter 5**_

The pirates didn't even bind their hands before marching them back through the complex. Lienn liked to think that they were afraid to approach after the thrashing her companions had delivered, but she knew that more likely it was simple expediency. A tall, burly slaver with a scraggly black beard had Pinmei in a vice-grip and was holding a wicked looking blade to the girl's throat. Should they manage to overpower the five guards herding them down the ramps, there was no way they could do so quickly enough to spare her. And even had they not been there to rescue her specifically, one look at the child's frightened, tear-stained face would have been enough to stay anyone's hand.

Well, almost anyone. The piece of human garbage holding the girl at knifepoint was clearly unmoved.

And so, as they were herded along ahead of the other prisoners, Lienn's imagination devised all manner of tortures to inflict on their captors should the opportunity arise. A glance at the glowering hatred on Sky's face as he marched beside her, one hand clamped over his bleeding shoulder, told her that he was likely having similar fantasies. She wasn't terribly surprised; he would clearly do anything to protect his daughter, as he should.

But at the same time, she couldn't suppress a stab of jealously. Despite their current predicament, at least he knew where his daughter was and that she was, for the moment, safe. They still had no idea what had become of Master Li. Hing had told them the pirates had taken him away, but taken him where? He wasn't with the slave breaker, and they hadn't seen any indication of another prison. So what had become of him?

The possibilities filled her with dread. If his injuries were more severe than she'd thought, he could have died without proper treatment. Or the slavers might have decided that an injured old man wasn't worth the trouble and killed him. Hui thought he'd put up a good fight, whatever his injuries, but even Master Li wasn't invincible.

And then there was the thought that struck terror into her heart, even more so than the idea of his death: what if they'd figured out who he really was? Hui said if that happened they would sell him to the Lotus Assassins, and if they did, Lienn didn't know how she'd ever get him back. She didn't know much about the Assassins, but if they reported directly to the Emperor's right hand man then they must be highly skilled warriors.

She was just a student; what could she do against the Empire's elite?

Lienn forced herself to put her worries aside as they were led into the cavern with the slave cages. She would have to affect her own escape before concentrating on Master Li's, and for that she would need to focus. This wasn't going to be easy.

The pirates herded Lienn, Sky, and Hui, along with two women from the slave breaker's chamber, into the still open cage. Had Pinmei joined them, Lienn would have had no qualms about attacking the nearest guard, despite the fact that he held them at sword point. But the leader, clearly smarter than his comrades, continued to hold the child hostage while one of his subordinates rooted through a nearby crate. When the underling emerged with what appeared to be some kind of locking mechanism, he threw Pinmei into the prison, slammed the gate shut, and locked it. Hui and Lienn both rushed it, hoping to break free, but they were too slow. Their captor just laughed before ordering a man and woman to stand guard and disappearing back up the ramp.

Sighing with frustration, Lienn turned back to her fellow inmates. The two peasant women were huddled together in a corner, literally shaking with fear. The one who'd been confined in the chair had a vicious welt along her left cheek. The scorched, bleeding wound trailed from the corner of her eye down to her jaw line, and Lienn couldn't help but wince in sympathy, knowing she'd never be rid of the scar.

In the middle of the small pen, Pinmei was huddled in her father's arms, sobbing. Lienn's heart ached for the girl; she was too young to have to see how ugly the world could be.

When she looked to Hui, she was surprised to find the older woman examining the construction of their cage and smiled. The former soldier was innately practical, and Lienn decided to follow her example. Joining her companion in the far corner of their prison, she asked, "What do you think?"

"Whoever designed this knew what they were doing," Hui replied. "The bars are mounted into the stone of the cavern, so they're very stable. The thatched design makes them all but unbreakable, and the rope bindings seem to have been treated to make them more durable. I can't examine the gate until the guards nod off, but so far it doesn't look good."

Lienn frowned and examined the interweaving bars for herself; they appeared to be made of some kind of reed. "Could you use your magic to burn through them?"

Hui shook her head. "It would take too long. Assuming the guards didn't put out the fire or find some way to stop us, the flames and smoke would be a danger to us. This cage is too small and the cavern isn't well ventilated. We could all suffocate."

Lienn sighed. "What if we got our weapons back?"

"Hard to say," Hui answered with a shrug. "An ax might work if we could find one, but I'm not sure how effective swords would be. They just aren't designed to be handled that way."

"So what do we do?"

"We wait." Hui noticed her companion's scowl and smiled. "Don't tell me that Li hasn't taught you the value of patience."

"He's taught me," she answered, "but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Hui laughed. "You're young. But given time you'll find that occasionally patience truly is a virtue." She glanced towards Sky, who was still comforting his daughter, then back to Lienn. "Come. Let's see how the child is fairing."

Reluctantly, Lienn followed her companion to where Sky knelt. Pinmei's sobbing seemed to have reduced itself to sniffles and hiccupping, but she still clung to her father, her little face buried in his neck. Sky looked up as they approached, smiling despite the stranglehold his daughter had around his neck.

"How is she?" Hui asked quietly.

"Mostly scared, I think. She has a few bruises, but those will heal," he replied, gently smoothing back the girl's long, black hair. His relief at finding her safe – for now, anyway – was apparent. "Pinmei," he continued softly, "there are some ladies I'd like you to meet."

Pinmei lifted her head and peeked out from where she'd hidden her face. She gazed up at them with shining black eyes much like her father's, a look of hesitant curiosity on her tear-stained face.

Lienn smiled kindly. "It's nice to meet you, Pinmei. My name is Lienn, and this is Hui."

The child glanced from one woman to the other and then back to her father. Sky nodded encouragingly. "It's all right. Lienn and Hui helped me find you." The girl looked back at them through uncertain eyes, so he continued. "Lienn and her teacher fought the bad men and tried to stop them from taking you away from the farm. Do you remember?"

Pinmei's eyes fixed on Lienn, and slowly, she nodded. "I remember," she said finally, her voice soft.

"I'm sorry we didn't get to you in time," Lienn quietly apologized.

The girl didn't answer, instead stepping towards her as though mesmerized. Hesitantly, tiny fingers reached out and touched the Dragon Amulet fastened to Lienn's bodice. "That's really shiny."

The Spirit Monk smiled. "My teacher gave it to me."

"Yes, you always did get the best of everything," a snide voice commented from behind them. "But not anymore."

The prisoners turned and found a young man watching them from the bottom of the fortress ramp. A vindictive sneer twisted his otherwise handsome features, and Lienn's eyes narrowed in loathing as he sauntered toward them.

"So, it really is you," Gao gloated, smirking at her through the bars. "I didn't believe the guards at first; it just seemed too perfect to be real, but here you are. I can't tell you how long I've waited to see this. Master Li's precious protégé on her knees at my feet."

Lienn raised an eyebrow. "This is called 'standing', Gao," she stated, gesturing to her feet, which were planted firmly on the floor. "But then you always were a little slow."

Sky rose to his feet, carefully placing himself between Pinmei and the newcomer. _So, this is Gao the Lesser,_ he thought with disgust. It wasn't difficult to see why Lienn disliked him; Gao's envy and resentment were so obvious a blind man could see them. Still, the gait of his walk and his loose brown training garments pegged him as a fighter. _Petty and powerful,_ he decided. _A dangerous combination._

Gao's smirk turned to a glower. "Laugh now. The slave breakers will beat that attitude out of you. I just wish I could be here to see it."

"Don't you have something better to do?" Lienn's eyes took on a malicious glint as she added, "Actually, I suppose you don't. After all, what's a second-rate student to do while Daddy looks for teachers he can bribe?"

The jab had obviously hit a nerve because Gao's face flushed in embarrassment. A heartbeat later the angry glare had returned. "You think you're so special, but I'm going to study at the Black Leopard School in the Imperial City. They know real potential when they see it. Leaving your master's sorry excuse for a school is the best thing that ever happened to me. And who knows? Perhaps when I complete my training, I'll ask my father if I can have you for my own use." He paused, then commented with a lascivious glance downward, "I bet you'd make an excellent pleasure slave."

Sky took another step forward, a fiery hatred blooming in his heart. He wanted very badly to throttle the leer off Gao's sneering face.

However, Gao's expression of malicious glee only grew as he caught sight of Sky's silent fury. "Oh, look, you already have a new worshipper. Don't bother jumping to her defense, pretty-boy; I'm going to see to this personally. It's just too good an opportunity to pass up."

Sky's fists clenched spasmodically, but Lienn simply raised a hand to calm him, placing it lightly on his arm. "Yes, I suppose that _is_ the only way you can get a woman to touch you, isn't it, Gao?" she taunted. "It's not as though you have charm or intelligence to fall back on. You have to resort to_ slavery_."

"Why you…" Gao's face turned almost purple with rage as he pulled back, preparing to strike wildly at their prison.

Lienn took a few warding steps backward, guiding Sky along with her. For one brief moment, he thought a look of triumph crossed her face, but just as quickly it was gone.

One of their prison guards – whose presence he'd momentarily forgotten – grabbed Gao by the elbow and hauled him away from the cage. "Master, what are you doing? You're going to let them out!" the man practically screeched.

Some of the blind fury faded from Gao's eyes and was replaced by contempt as he whirled on Lienn. "I bet you think you're clever, don't you? Well, you'll see. You'll all see. He can't protect you anymore, your hidden master and his _real_ name. Everything you have is already gone; my father has seen to that!"

Lienn froze, something akin to dread in her eyes. Sky placed a supportive hand on her back as she ground out with deceptive calm, "What have you done, Gao?"

"You'll see," he smirked darkly. "You've already lost, no matter what happens here. But don't worry, _Senior Student_," he mocked, "I'll be back for you soon… if you survive."

They watched Gao's retreating back for a tense moment before Lienn spun towards Sky, clearly panicked. "Dear gods, he knows! He knows about—"

Hui stepped forward and grasped her elbow firmly, ushering Lienn away from the gate. "Hush. Keep your voice down. We don't know anything for certain."

"But he said, 'his _real_ name'…" Lienn worried.

"The implication isn't good, I know," Hui argued, "but Gao might have simply been taunting you. Until we're sure they've learned his true identity we mustn't give anything away."

Lienn looked to Sky, who nodded reluctantly. "Hui is right," he said quietly. "If they've only figured out that your master isn't who he claims to be, Gao might've been hoping he could trick you into revealing his real name."

Ever so slowly, Lienn nodded. "I suppose that's possible. Gao can be very manipulative when he wants to be."

Hui nodded in relief. "You see. Let's not panic just yet."

A hand tugged at Sky's shirt. "Daddy?"

In his worry, Sky had forgotten that his daughter was watching, and as he knelt beside her, he sincerely hoped that she hadn't understood most of what Gao had said. "What is it, sweetheart?"

"Why was that man so mean?" Pinmei asked in a small voice.

"Well, I think he was jealous because Lienn did better in school that he did," Sky simplified.

Pinmei looked to Lienn in wonder. "You went to school?"

The young woman smiled indulgently. "I still do. I'm a student at a martial arts school in Two Rivers."

"I've never been to school before," the little girl replied, her dark eyes filled with awe. "What's it like?"

Lienn glanced up at Sky in surprise; he shrugged in response, a faint smile on his lips. Looking back down at Pinmei, she couldn't help but grin at the hopeful expression on the child's face. "That could take a while; I've spent my whole life there." Pinmei's eyes widened even more, and Lienn couldn't suppress a chuckle. "All right, then," she conceded, drawing the child towards the back of the cell. "Come sit with me, and I'll tell you all about it." They seated themselves side by side on the dirty floor, and Lienn began to quietly describe life at her school.

Sky watched them for a moment, relieved that his daughter was distracted for the present, before a gentle hand on his arm turned him back to Hui. The soldier was solemn, and it took a moment to find her voice.

"Thank you," she murmured. At his puzzled look she added, "For helping me calm her."

Sky grimaced. "I don't like lying to her. We both know what Gao meant. He knows exactly who Master Li is."

"Most likely," Hui concede with a sigh. "But we can't do anything about it from in here and telling Lienn would only upset her more. She's going to need a clear head to get out of here."

"I know. I saw her reaction; that's why I said what I did. But I don't want to make a habit of it."

Hui shrugged indifferently and glanced toward his blood-encrusted shoulder. "Is it still bleeding?"

Sky shook his head. "No, I don't think so. With a little time to rest, I should be able to heal it well enough to fight our way out of here."

Hui nodded sharply. "Well, time is one thing we have plenty of at the moment." She looked towards the open cavern, her gaze landing on the pirates guarding their prison. They seemed to be engaged in some sort of argument. "I'm going to take a closer look at the gate while they're busy."

"I could check out the lock for you," he offered. "If anybody can find a way to get it open, it's me."

After a moment to consider, Hui nodded agreement, and they crept quietly towards the gate.

* * *

Sky sat on the hard floor, his back against the stone wall of their small cell. He shifted uncomfortably, trying to find a spot that didn't press on his still-healing shoulder. The worst was past, and he'd be ready to fight if they got the chance, but the jagged rock-face was aggravating the lingering soreness. He could move, he supposed; there was a spot near the corner – or what passed for a corner, anyway – where the wall was relatively smooth, but it would obstruct his view of the cavern. From his current position he could observe everything that happened in the cavern; that way, he could be ready when the chance to escape presented itself.

But for the moment he just stared aimlessly, brooding. There was no way out of their prison. The gate was hinged in such a way that one would need a hatchet to break through, and the lock was such a convoluted mechanism that Sky hadn't been able to make heads or tails of it. If he'd had a chance to see someone use it, he might be able to work it out, but thus far no one had opened it, not even to feed them. He could only assume that the pirates were trying to weaken them with hunger, make them easier to manipulate, but he feared for Pinmei. Going hungry wasn't good for a small child, and she'd already been here two days.

Without even realizing it, his stare shifted to the space a small ways away where his daughter was curled up against Lienn's side. Pinmei was gazing up at the young woman with adoring eyes as Lienn spoke of her life in Two Rivers. His daughter seemed to be developing a bit of hero worship for the young martial artist, and Sky was torn as to how to react. Pinmei had never had a strong female role model before – or any female role model, really. She was only five years old, so it hadn't especially concerned him yet. But a time would come when she would need a woman to look up to, and he certainly didn't want her to emulate the nameless women who occasionally shared his bed.

But Lienn was different; she was intelligent, caring, strong… All the things he wanted his daughter to be. Yet deep in his heart, he was jealous. For five years he'd been the most important person in Pinmei's life; she depended on him for everything. Now, he realized there were things he would never be able to give her. And as much as he wanted her to have the knowledge Lienn could offer, he was reluctant to share his daughter with anyone.

_Although, _he thought with a slight smile,_ maybe Pinmei and I could share __**Lienn**__…_ He had to admit, the idea had some appeal.

Gao's taunting had cut him more deeply than he'd realized, and once things settled down, Sky had found himself looking – truly _looking_ – at Lienn for the first time. Oh, he'd looked at her before, of course, but he hadn't truly _seen_ her; in his fear for Pinmei, all he'd really seen was a skilled fighter to help him reach his daughter. But Gao's crude comments had made Sky see her in a new light, and now he couldn't stop looking.

She had a soft beauty that seemed to suffuse her entire being. Her black hair was sleek and shiny, and her eyes were a unique shade of brown that seemed to shift from near-black to almost-burgundy depending on the angle of the torchlight. She had full lips and smooth, golden skin that was just begging to be touched. But it was her body that was truly challenging his self-control. Lienn was all long legs and sleek muscles, with curves in all the right places. The laces of her silk bodice exposed a long stretch of flawless skin along her sides, emphasizing her full bust and slim waist. Despite the fact that he knew she could drop a man twice her size, she somehow managed to look soft and feminine.

_Actually, the idea has__** a lot **__of appeal,_ he amended. A desirable woman who was also a positive influence on his daughter? If she was wealthy as well, he would have said she was perfect.

And somehow she was completely unaware of how desirable she was. He wasn't sure how he knew; it was just an instinct. Whether it was born of childlike innocence or simple self-consciousness he couldn't say. But he'd seen it in her eyes when Gao had taunted her. Lienn thought he'd simply wanted to hurt her; it had never occurred to her that Gao might _want _her. Sky, on the other hand, had understood Gao's lust all too well, but he'd be damned if someone like Gao was going to force her into his bed; Lienn deserved better.

But it wouldn't come to that. They would escape and leave Gao the Lesser far behind, and she would be safe.

And, of course, the fact that Sky would prefer to have Lienn in _his_ bed didn't influence that plan at all.

* * *

Lienn opened her eyes and looked up groggily as someone nudged her. The fitful doze she'd fallen into shortly after sundown hadn't been deep enough to dim the memory of where they were or what had happened to them, and she cringed at the possible reasons she was now being roused. She turned toward Sky, whose shoulder she was leaning against, and found him looking around with the same drowsy confusion she felt. Turning to her other side, she found Hui, awake and alert, staring intently across the cavern. Following her gaze, Lienn was puzzled by what she saw.

The security door at the top of the ramp was closing, and a trio of men was descending into the cave. The torch light was dim, but it provided enough light to identify them. The first two were obviously part of a pirate crew, but the third…

To say he was the strangest looking person she'd ever seen would be an understatement. His clothes were fairly plain, shirt and pants of simple, cream-colored cloth, covered by a long, dark green vest, and knee-high boots protected his feet. However, crisscrossing his chest was a sort of leather baldric attached to which were a number of acid-green vials and what appeared to be several large pouches. A hint of white hair was just visible beneath a reed hat so wide it could have doubled as an umbrella. Most startling, however, was that his face was mostly hidden behind a bizarre pair of binoculars that extended out from his eyes like telescopes. The binoculars were strapped in place, and even more strangely, the eye-pieces seemed to be two different lengths.

As he stepped off the ramp, the stranger looked at them – or at least Lienn thought he did, it was hard to tell with the goggles on – but then he turned away and began shuffling through the contents of a large barrel. One of the pirates hovered over the stranger's shoulder, while the other moved off to speak with the two men currently guarding their cell. They spoke too quietly to understand, but there was no missing the nervous looks they kept sending the strange little man's way.

"Is it just me, or are they afraid of him?" Sky murmured.

"I'm not sure," Hui replied quietly, "but somehow I don't think the guards are there for his protection. And they aren't showing enough respect for him to be someone in command."

"A slave, maybe?" Lienn asked.

"Possibly," Hui answered. "If he was a prisoner I don't think they'd be letting him wander about, even escorted."

The newcomer moved toward the center of the chamber, this time to search through a large wooden crate. Deciding that the guards were sufficiently distracted, Lienn crept forward, hoping to get a better look at what he was doing.

The man glanced up and this time there was no mistaking it; he looked directly at her. There was a hint of amusement on his face as he knelt down to adjust his boot, then surreptitiously slipped one of the vials from his baldric and rolled it towards the cluster of guards nearby. Lienn simply watched through the bars, uncomprehending, as he rose and moved towards the nearest wall.

As a result, she was blown back several feet when the explosion rocked the cavern.

She landed with a bone-jarring thud and could only lay there for a moment, blinking in shock as white spots danced before her eyes, her ears ringing from the noise. She shook her head to try to clear it, wondering what exactly had just happened, and propped herself up. Smoke filled the cavern, obscuring much of her vision, but the screams of the men nearest the blast told her much of what she needed to know.

She leaned down, hoping to see beneath the smoke, but a new discovery distracted her from that goal. The lock of their prison lay on the ground, cracked into three distinct pieces. She stared at it a moment, then reached forward and gently pushed against the gate; it swung forward without resistance.

Lienn smiled.

She turned back to her companions, determination in her eyes. Hui was trying to rub the pain from her ears while Sky stroked his daughter's hair as she huddled against him in terror.

Lienn crawled towards them, moving close so they could hear her. "We're loose."

Hui sat up straight, ringing ears forgotten, to peer around Lienn and see it with her own eyes. The older woman grinned at what she saw. "If we want to escape, this is our chance."

Sky glanced down at the child in his arms, then gently lifted her chin. "Pinmei, I want you to go sit over there," he said pointing to the far end of their cell where the other two prisoners had sequestered themselves. "Stay as low as you can, beneath the smoke, and tuck you shirt up over your nose and mouth. I need you to wait there until I call for you, no matter what. Do you understand?"

The girl nodded dazedly and with a little nudge began crawling towards the appointed spot.

When he was certain she was out of harm's way, Sky crept to the open gate where his companions were crouched. "What have we got?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

"Well, they all seem to be clustered near the cavern entrance, but there's so much smoke in here it's hard to say for sure," Lienn answered in kind.

"Can we use the smoke to our advantage? Maybe sneak up on them?" he suggested.

"Maybe. I think we can avoid bumping into anything, but the air is pretty bad. If we start coughing we'll give ourselves away."

"Actually, there might be a way to kill two birds with one stone," Hui stated, her voice slightly muffled as she tied the kerchief from her hair around her nose and mouth. "There's a kind of wind magic that can clear the smoke from the cavern and paralyze the guards at the same time. They won't be paralyzed long; you two will have to incapacitate them as quickly as possible, but I think it will work."

"Sounds like a plan," Sky answered with a grin. "Give Lienn and me a minute to get into position. I think we can get a bit closer to them without being noticed. Then, do your thing."

"I need to find a better position as well," Hui admitted, brushing her now-loose hair from her eyes. "I don't need to be close to them, but I do need them in my line of sight."

"All right then, give us a minute or so and then let it rip."

"I'll try to hold them as long as I can, but you'll need to act fast," Hui advised.

Lienn nodded in acknowledgement, then crept after Sky. Even crouched below the worst of the haze it was difficult to see, and she wished that she too carried a kerchief, as her lungs burned with every smoggy breath. She considered it pure luck that they managed not to make any noise.

Abruptly, Sky stopped, causing Lienn to bump into him. She clapped a hand over her mouth, choking back the coughing fit that attempted to escape while his strong hand on her shoulder steadied her. After a moment her protesting lungs calmed, and she inhaled carefully as she looked up at her companion. He nodded in understanding, then turned and pointed. Not ten feet away, the remaining pirates were gathered around two of their number who didn't seem to have survived the blast. Two others seemed injured, judging by the way they hunched over, hacking uncontrollably, but there were another three that looked to be in perfect health.

"I thought there were only four of them?" Sky murmured.

"The others must have been drawn by the explosion," she whispered back hoarsely.

There was no more time for discussion as a jet of air rippled across the room, whipping the smoke from its path. It slammed into the cluster of people before consolidating itself into a funnel. They hung, the five of them, suspended in mid-air, the bodies of their fallen comrades flopping in the storm like rag dolls. As the mini-tornado spun, it drew the remaining fumes from the air and channeled them upward, leaving the room clear.

Lienn and Sky were so shocked by the spectacle that for a moment they forgot what they were supposed to be doing. Lienn in particular was completely absorbed in the relief of taking a few delicious lungfuls of cool, clean air. But when one of the pirates spotted them, his eyes blazing with angry recognition, the pair sprang into action.

Lienn reached their captors first, delivering a few experimental jabs to one man's torso. It was challenging with the wind whipping at her; several of her blows went off course as the tornado tried to pull her in. She dearly missed her longsword and vowed that she would not leave this fortress until she found it; some distance between her body and the galing winds would have been helpful. But she didn't need to kill, only incapacitate them, and when she delivered a high kick to the man's jaw, his eyes rolled back in his head, and he slipped into unconsciousness.

Nodding decisively, she looked to the man on the right; he too was unconscious. Judging by the spots where his clothing was burned through and the red, blistered skin beneath, she assumed his injuries from the explosion had caught up with him.

On the left was a woman; she was awake, alert, and apparently unharmed. At least until Lienn lit into her. She glared down defiantly as Lienn reared back and then landed a strong, sharp blow to the side of her head. The woman slumped forward and continued to fall as the wind died off.

Looking around, Lienn found that all five of their opponents were in a crumpled heap on the ground and smiled. She opened her mouth to speak, but an unfamiliar voice beat her to it.

"You handled the guards well with your punching and kicking and magic… I was going to make more of an explody thing, but the kicking worked well, too."

Lienn simply stared at the odd little man who popped out from behind a nearby barrel. If anything he looked even stranger up close than he had from a distance, mostly because the goggles dilated his pupils to about ten times their normal size. It was disconcerting, to say the least. In addition, his cheeriness in the aftermath of battle was more than her mind could currently process. Hui was gaping at him as well, similarly stunned, but Sky barely gave him a second glance as he hurried towards their prison calling for Pinmei. At a loss as to what else to do, Lienn shook her head and followed him.

"Is everyone all right?" she asked as she entered their former cell. Pinmei nodded vigorously from her father's side.

Lienn looked to the other two prisoners. The peasant women had refused to speak to them thus far, seeming to consider the three fighters almost as dangerous as their captors. They had left the pair alone, not wanting to upset them further, but that was no longer an option. "Are you all right?" she asked quietly, being careful to keep her distance. The younger one nodded, though she was clearly still frightened; the other – the one who was being tortured when they'd first arrived – only huddled more closely to her companion. Lienn sighed; this wasn't going to be easy.

She turned as Hui came up behind her. "We need to bind and gag the guards before they come to," the soldier announced. "We can't risk them raising the alarm."

"Agreed." Lienn glanced at the two captives. "Will you help us?"

The tortured woman ignored her, staring fixedly at the floor. The other, however, said, "I will," and began extricating herself from her companion's grasp.

Lienn smiled. "Thank you." She offered the woman a hand up. "I suppose we'll have to tear strips from their clothing to use for rope," she began, leading the way towards the unconscious pirates, but once again a sprightly voice interrupted.

"Oh, there's no need," the odd man said, pulling a long coil of twine out of nowhere.

Once again, the group was left staring, before Lienn finally asked, "Who _are_ you?"

"My name is Kang," he answered with a low bow, his wide hat somehow defying gravity to remain on his head, "the Mad. I make things explode, and I make things fly, and I'm very good at both. The things I fly tend to survive. The things I explode… not so much."

"You make things explode?" Lienn questioned, just as Sky asked, "You make things fly?"

Kang turned from one to the other, the lenses of his eyepiece reflecting the torchlight strangely before he settled on Lienn. "I make all sorts of things, and yes, many of my inventions are designed to expend energy… uh… quickly. But my latest invention does not explode… Much."

"So you're an inventor," Hui surmised as she reached forward and took the rope from him. Kneeling beside one of the guards, she took a knife from his boot and began cutting long lengths of rope and offering them to her companions. "And you work for Gao the Greater?"

"Under protest!" Kang insisted as the others gathered around the unconscious pirates, binding their hands and feet. "Gao does not appreciate what I make. He misuses, and worse, he duplicates and diminishes their glory. Well, no more! The Amber Mosquito will not fly!"

"You built Gao a special flyer?" Sky asked, tightening an elaborate knot around his prisoner's wrists.

"It's in the launch room upstairs. My greatest invention! Small and fast, it has weapons and maneuverability other flyers its size can't touch. But Gao plans to produce an entire fleet of them, and I won't have it! "

Lienn finished hauling a bound pirate woman into their former prison and paused to catch her breath, a puzzled look on her face. "You said duplication hurts the quality. Aren't duplicates identical?"

Kang scowled. "Yes, yes, the bolts are the same, but think about this: if there is one Amber Mosquito, it is the best of its kind. Make a hundred, and they are each only average. A flyer must appeal to the heaven with beauty and singular ingenuity! Why, I bet some of my older flyers have fallen from the sky for seemingly no reason at all."

Lienn shared a questioning look with her companions. It was obvious that Kang "the Mad" came by his name honestly, but the promise of a working flying machine – and someone to operate and repair it – was too tempting to pass up. Besides, who were they to turn down help, whatever the source.

"Will you help us against Gao?" she asked.

"Yes, yes! What do you think I've been saying? You need to pay attention more," he chastised before explaining his plan. "If you were to stage a combat-related accident for Gao… like falling down a flight of punches, then I'll release the Mosquito from its dock, and we can fly away! What do you say?"

Sky's eyes narrowed faintly in suspicion. "You're being awfully helpful to a group of strangers."

"I'm not 'Kang the Stupid'," the inventor replied dryly. "Eventually Gao is going to see me as more nuisance than asset. And until then, he's going to keep me prisoner here and try to profit from my genius. I'll take my chances with you."

Hui shrugged noncommittally, so Lienn nodded, bemused. "You have a deal, Kang."

"You are sure to profit from this partnership," the inventor declared grandly. "In fact, I've never accidentally exploded anyone traveling _with_ me before, so that alone is a benefit of my presence."

Sky glanced worriedly at his daughter, who was currently fascinated by a small grey lizard on the cave wall. "Is it too late to change our minds?" he muttered.

Lienn shushed him and began tying the hands of the last of their prisoners while Hui worked on the ankles. "So, Kang," she asked, "how did you come to be here?"

"Oh, it's a long story… from what I remember. Some experiments went wrong in my old workshop… explosions… a few estates burned down. Some other things happened… Gao bribed some officials just as I was about to be quartered by five horses. Or would that be 'quinted'?" He frowned, perplexed, then shook his head and sighed. "Regardless, he brought me here to work for him."

Lienn frowned up at him from where she was working. "Gao rescued you, but you still want us to kill him?"

"Sure, he rescued me, but only to acquire my inventions and misuse them," Kang explained as Lienn and Hui hauled the burly fighter to the cell. "You don't send dozens of flyers against pitiful villages. There's no elegance to a swarm. Just like you don't use explosives inspired by the Great Dragon to carve a treasure chamber. A menial use of power without even a decent crater to show for it." His tone made it clear that he considered a crater-less explosion an object of disgust.

However, Sky's eyes fairly lit up. "A treasure chamber?"

Hui glared at the back of Sky's head, but Kang only nodded enthusiastically. "Just next to the launch room. I don't know how you get in or out, because it is, after all, behind a massive immovable door. I can think of one way to get it open, but I don't have a lever long enough, so you'll just have to use your head. Not literally."

Lienn joined them in the middle of the cavern; she was glaring as well. "We don't have time for that, Sky. We still have to find Master Li." She turned to Kang. "I don't suppose you've seen an old man named Master Li?"

"Master Li? No, I don't think so. I'm not so good with names." He paused. "Or faces. Dates are bad, too… But, I can remember my own handiwork. Several older flyers stopped here briefly. They were full of Lotus Assassins, and one _big_ assassin in black armor who seemed to be in charge. _Very_ big. Unpleasant look on his mask. They were taking some people with them; one was a prisoner, or so I heard, and they all seemed nervous about it. They left for the Imperial City soon after. Does that help?"

Lienn looked to Hui in alarm. The soldier's lips were twisted into a worried grimace.

"This Lotus Assassin," Hui said with deceptive calm, "the one in black armor, was his mask dark red with large black holes for the eyes and mouth?" At Kang's decisive nod, the soldier seemed to collapse inward, her head dropping and shoulders sagging in defeat. Taking a deep, fortifying breath, she rose and looked despairingly into Lienn's eyes.

"That assassin was Death's Hand. We're too late."

* * *

*COMING SOON: Chapter 6*


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: WOO! We have updates! Many apologies for the long, Long, LONG wait. For those of you who don't know, I revised the earlier chapters, so feel free to take a look. No plot changes, but I fleshed a few things out a little better.

Also, I want to thank everyone who reviewed or added me to their favorites. RL have been beating the crap outta me, but those notices always make me smile. I wish I could promise regular updates, but my perpetually failing health doesn't really allow for it. But I do have another chapter just about finished, so watch for it soon.

* * *

Disclaimer: _Jade Empire_ still belongs to Bioware. Do you think they'd give it to me if I asked _really_ nicely?

_**Chapter 6**_

She had known this was coming. From the moment Kang mentioned the Lotus Assassins, she had known the truth. And yet, with Hui's simple declaration, Lienn felt her entire world crumble around her.

How could Master Li be gone?

"So what do we do now?" Sky asked.

Lienn looked up dimly. It was a question she would have liked to ask had she been in a state of mind to voice it.

"I'm not sure," Hui confessed. "I admit, I don't like the idea of letting Gao get away with what he's done, but perhaps we should simply take the flyer and go."

"If it was that simple I would have done it myself," Kang replied. "The mechanism to control the launch door is at the top of the pagoda, near Gao's private rooms. Lots of guards. No way to sneak in."

"Guess we'll have to make a fight of it anyway," Sky stated.

"And then what?" Lienn asked quietly. "Do we go to the Imperial City after Master Li?" She looked from Hui to Sky, frowning as the pair glanced uncertainly at each other. "We have to rescue him! We came here to rescue him!"

Hui placed a comforting hand on the younger woman's shoulder, which Lienn shrugged off. Hui did not resume the contact, but when she spoke her voice was full of patience. "I'm worried, too, but we mustn't rush into this blindly. The Imperial City is a large place, and we have no idea where he was taken. If we mean to rescue him, we must remain calm and think before we act."

"But they could be killing him!"

"The emperor won't kill him," Hui explained. "At least, not right away. Sun Hai fears his brother; it's why he's been searching for Li all this time. He'll want to question Li about his plans and what he's been doing all these years, and that will buy us time. But at this moment, we have to focus on the here and now and get out of this fortress alive."

"She's right," Sky interjected. "His guards may be fools, but Gao won't be a pushover. It's not yet dawn; if we strike before first light we can use the darkness for cover. Maybe take him by surprise."

Lienn swallowed hard, hearing the wisdom in their words and forcing herself to be calm. She took a shaky breath and met Sky's eyes, offering him a hint of a smile. "And maybe loot Gao's treasure chamber?"

He grinned. "Well, since it's along the way…"

She nodded; another deep breath eased her tension further. "All right. First things first." She turned to Kang. "Is there someplace safe where Pinmei and these two women can wait until the fighting's over?"

"They can wait with me in my workshop," the mad inventor replied. "The guards never come in unless I need something. It's perfectly safe… so long as they don't touch anything."

Lienn and Sky glanced at each other. The thief raised an uncertain eyebrow, and his companion shrugged. "It'll have to do."

He nodded reluctantly. "I'll make sure Pinmei knows not to play with anything in there."

"Kang, what do you know about the defenses on the upper level?" Hui asked.

"Oh, it isn't pretty," Kang replied, grimacing. "I don't go up there unless I have to. Gao has worse beings than slavers at his command."

"How much worse?"

"Demons," he explained with a shudder. "Fighting isn't Gao's strength, magic is. He's summoned rat and horse demons to guard the launch room and upper levels. That's in addition to all the pirates and Guild fighters up there. Rumor has it that he's even enslaved an elephant demon, though I've never seen it."

Lienn's eyes were wide. "How are we supposed to kill demons?"

"I have no idea," Sky confessed helplessly. "I've never seen one before."

"I have," Hui stated tiredly, "though only once or twice. Some of the Lotus Assassins practice demon summoning. Rat demons are usually about three feet tall and will try to gouge you with their claws and teeth. They aren't difficult opponents one-on-one, but if a whole group descends on you they can do some serious damage. Horse demons are much worse. They're man-sized fire creatures; any attack you make on one has the potential of burning you. Even a sword slash made in close enough proximity can ignite your skin or clothes. They also possess a form of _Dire Flame_ magic that can set you on fire from across a room."

"Is there any way to avoid getting burned?" Sky asked.

"Not that I know of," the soldier sighed. "It's a brilliant defense mechanism, really; every successful attack on it damages its opponent. We should all be so lucky."

"Great," Sky muttered. "What about elephant demons?"

Hui frowned. "I'm afraid I don't know much about those. They're highly prized as bodyguards because they're so large and hard to kill, and because they're also extremely loyal. It would probably take a very powerful sorcerer to hold one against its will."

"So Gao also has a powerful sorcerer. This just keeps getting better," Sky commented.

"Actually," Kang interrupted, "Gao _is_ the powerful sorcerer. Well, I'm not really sure how powerful he is, but I've heard his thugs talking. They say there's fire in his eyes, and they're all terrified he'll turn his magic on them. Of course, they aren't the brightest group, so it's hard to say how reliable their information is."

"They… may not be exaggerating," Lienn commented. "At school I remember Master Li forbidding Gao the Lesser from using any of the dark magic his father had taught him."

"You're sure about this?" Hui queried.

"Those were Master Li's exact words; it came up more than once. Gao was always complaining about how Master Li hobbled his progress by forbidding him from using magic. I never saw it, so I don't know how powerful the magic was. But I do know that Master Li was worried Gao would harm the other students with his powers."

"Which brings up another question," Sky remarked, turning to Kang. "Is Gao's son still here?"

"No, no," Kang dismissed. "He left in a flyer a few hours ago, heading for the Imperial City, I think."

"Good," Hui said. "We don't need an extra sorcerer to worry about, even a half-trained one."

Lienn nodded in agreement and noticed Sky's posture relax a little. Somehow, she doubted this would be the last they'd seen of her former rival, but she couldn't worry about that right now. One problem at a time. "Okay, let's head for Kang's workshop. He can wait there with Pinmei and the ladies while we go open the launch doors."

"What about Gao the Greater?" Sky asked darkly.

Lienn sighed. "As much as I want to see him pay for what he's done, I think our first priority should be getting out of here."

Sky scowled for a moment, but one glance at his daughter and he relented. "You have a point. We can deal with Gao later if need be."

"I don't like the idea of leaving Gao alive," Hui countered. "We'd practically be begging for him to come after us."

"And if we kill him, his allies come after us instead," Lienn replied. "I don't know that it matters."

"This argument is pointless," Kang informed them impatiently. "Gao's not going to let us take the Amber Mosquito without a fight, and if his minions can't stop you, he'll do it himself. Or try to, anyway."

_Like father, like son,_ Lienn thought tiredly. "Well, I guess that settles that. Let's head on up." She looked at Pinmei, who was holding tight to her father's hand as they headed toward the ramp, then looked to the two women they'd found. "You can come with us up to the workshop if you want," she told them. "We'll be heading back to Tien's Landing once we find Gao's flyer, and we'd be glad to take you with us."

The woman who had worked with them to bind the pirates glanced to her traumatized companion and replied, "I don't suppose there's another option?"

Lienn considered. "Well, I suppose you could head down to the beach. Ru may still be there with his barge, waiting for us. But it's been so long, he might have just assumed we were killed and left."

Slowly, the woman nodded. "I think we'll try for the raft. Going further into the fortress seems…" She shook her head, uncertain how to finish.

"I understand," Lienn said. "Hopefully the path is still clear. If it isn't, you're welcome to meet us in Kang's workshop. And if you find Ru, tell him…" she glanced to Sky and Hui, hoping she wasn't about to condemn them all, "tell him to head on back to Tien's Landing. If we don't make it out on the flyer, I don't think we'll make it out at all."

Lienn took a shaky breath, terrified that this would blow up in their faces, but she saw Hui's decisive nod and knew there was no going back. They needed that flyer. Period.

"I'll tell him," the woman agreed, then glanced at Pinmei. "We could take the little one with us," she offered. "It might be safer."

"No!" Pinmei cried, clinging to Sky's arm with both hands. "I want to stay with you, Daddy. Tell them I'm staying with you!"

Sky look down into his daughter's panicked eyes, clearly torn. Taking her with them would be dangerous, no question, but at the same time, she would have three skilled warriors to protect her. If she returned to Tien's Landing with only a drunken boatswain and two frightened women to look after her…

"It might be best if she returned to town," Hui suggested, earning a glare from the child in question. "She can wait for us at the teahouse; I'm sure Old Mother Kwan would be happy to look after her. She'd be safe there."

"The last time I left her somewhere so she'd be safe, she was kidnapped by slavers," Sky ground out. "No," he decided, turning to the peasant women. "Thanks for the offer, but Pinmei stays with me. I won't risk losing her again."

Pinmei nodded triumphantly and turned to Hui with a challenging look. Hui looked less than pleased at the decision, but she didn't argue. It wasn't her choice to make.

The peasant woman simply nodded in understanding and began ushering her companion along. "As you wish. Thank you for all your help."

They watched as the women headed for the cavern exit.

"Weapons," Lienn finally said, picking up a longsword they'd removed from one of the unconscious pirates. It wasn't nearly as fine as the one Weaponmaster Gujin had given her, but it would do for now. "If we're going to face Gao, we're going to need weapons."

"I would prefer my own," Sky complained as he appropriated a poorly-maintained shortsword and a long, thin-bladed dagger, "but I suppose it's better than nothing."

"Hopefully we'll find our own weapons along the way," Hui remarked as she tested the balance of a slightly rusted katana.

"Oh, I have your weapons right here," Kang piped up helpfully and produced four swords – two long, two short – out of nowhere. "I stole them from the slave breaker's cave this afternoon. I thought you might need them."

The trio stared at him, effectively stunned speechless.

"Where did you…? How did you…?" Sky wondered, and turned to Lienn for help, completely baffled.

Hui, on the other hand, looked annoyed. "You've had them all along? Didn't you think it might be a good idea to give them to us sooner? Like, say, when we were _fighting for our lives_?"

"Ah, I knew I forgot something," Kang commented carelessly. "Well, you did fine without them. You're to be commended on your versatility."

Hui gaped.

Lienn, for her part, decided she didn't want to think about it anymore. Her sanity could only take so much. "Well, right, thanks, Kang," she said, claiming her longsword and relishing the familiar weight of it.

The inventor nodded cheerfully and offered the other three weapons to their rightful owners. Once everyone was properly armed, he said, "Shall I lead the way?"

"By all mean," Lienn answered and followed him toward the long, wooden ramp.

With only the dim starlight to see by, Kang led them up the walkways and into his strange workshop. It looked all the stranger in the flickering light of the metal braziers, but at least they provided sufficient light to maneuver around the room without bumping into anything. So, after giving Pinmei strict instructions not to touch anything without Kang's permission, and Kang strict instructions not to make anything explode while the child was nearby, the three warriors headed for the ramp that led further into Gao's lair.

"Wait!" the inventor called, rushing over to what looked like a sort of lab table. "Hold on! Where is it…?" He rustled through drawers, shoving things haphazardly about. Lienn, Sky, and Hui watched in bafflement until finally, with a cry of, "Ah-ha!" Kang turned around and offered them a small leather pouch with a cheery grin.

"What's that?" Sky asked suspiciously.

"It's an ointment I developed to help treat burn wounds," the inventor replied helpfully. "In my line of work, I need it. Never know when an explosion might decide to sneak up on you… Anyway, place a little of this ointment on a minor or moderate burn, and it will heal in a matter of minutes. A more serious burn might take hours – or days if it's life-threatening – but it will help protect the wound and ease some of the pain immediately. It will help you if you have to fight the horse demons."

Lienn smiled and took the offered pouch. It had been treated to be waterproof and the laces were wound tightly about the top to prevent spilling. "Thanks, Kang," she said, trying to figure out where to stash the offering. Seeing her dilemma, Sky took the pouch and laced it to the chest harness that supported the swords sheathed on his back; Lienn smiled grateful.

"Yes, good," Kang replied dismissively, his mind obviously having moved beyond them already. "Now you go ahead, and once all the kicking is done, I'll come along and we'll see what's what. For now, let me think! We'll need explosives… that explode."

He turned his back on them, the conversation already forgotten, and the trio of warriors exchanged an anxious look.

"Can't be helped," Lienn muttered quietly to her companions. "We need him."

Hui nodded in resignation, having obviously come to the same conclusion already, and Sky reluctantly agreed. So, with one last reminder to Pinmei to not touch _anything_, they headed for the ramp.

Carefully they wound their way upward, past the slave breaker's cavern – which they gave a wide berth – and into a small open pavilion hung with paper lanterns that looked like some manner of gathering area, but short of a few monkeys climbing on the railings, they met nothing living.

"This doesn't seem right," Sky worried. "We met so much resistance on the lower levels, but up here, nothing? Where are the guards? We should at least have seen some servants."

"It's possible Kang's explosion drew them all down to the prison," Lienn suggested.

"Not from this far away, not unless sound travels _very _well here," Hui replied. "It's very late, and we haven't passed a barracks of any kind. The majority of them may be sleeping." The soldier paused. "Or they may just be on the higher levels, guarding their master."

"Maybe," Sky conceded, slowly walking to the stairs that would lead them onward. "But it still seems odd that there aren't any guards at all, not even a lookout."

They continued their trek and eventually found themselves standing before a far more elaborate structure than any they'd seen so far. It was lit brightly from the inside, sandstone brick walls glowing yellow in the lamplight. Decorative pillars gleamed a lacquered red, while red flags fluttered in the breeze. Decorative paper windows shone against the brick, and a wide doorway gave them a clear view into the spacious room beyond.

"This looks important," Sky commented.

"Which means it will probably be well-guarded," Hui added. "Watch yourselves."

Lienn nodded silently as she stepped into the large building – and was instantly forced to dodge an incoming fireball.

They had found the demons.

The rat demons were about what she'd expected. The size of a large child, they walked on their hind legs, sharp little claws clicking on the hardwood floor as they scrabbled toward her. Still, they mostly looked like overgrown rats, with beady little eyes and whiskers the length of her hand.

The horse demons were a different story altogether. They were about man-sized, as Hui had said, but their flesh was black, their heads skeletal and bodies desiccated. Like the rats, they walked upright, but while their bony legs bore hooves, their arms had hands with long, wicked talons. And then there were their manes, a glowing wave of fire down each of their backs. They_ truly_ looked like demons.

There were two of each kind, and as Lienn flipped to her feet, she was dismayed to see that one of the horse demons had fixed its milky, pupil-less eyes on her. She drew her sword, hoping to keep her distance, but it was already moving. It raised a hoof, drawing back, and she tumbled out of the way as a fiery projectile sailed past her.

Sensing a weakness, she flipped high into the air and landed behind it, striking at the demon's back. Flames licked their way up the sword to singe her hands, and she back-flipped away. Apparently there was no way to strike it without being burned, at least a little, but hopefully, if she could stay behind it, it wouldn't be too bad. The demon turned to face her and she once again leapt into the air, continuing the dance.

As rat demons came at him from both sides, Sky couldn't help but be relieved that dual shortswords were his weapons of choice. One lunged at him and he swatted it away with the flat of one blade, while the other weapon came around and slashed into the second rat as it attacked from his other side. He tumbled forward, trying to force them to face him on one front, but as he took a swing at the injured one, it scampered under his blade and they once again had him flanked.

This time, they both charged him at the same time, and he flipped backward out of their path, allowing them to crash headlong into each other. He drove forward on the attack, but the collision didn't even seem to stun them. As they skittered out of his way, one raked his leg with needle-sharp claws. He winced at the sharp sting that erupted, but still managed to pivot and land a quick slash across the creature's chest. It shrieked in pain, but instead of scrambling away as he expected, it and its companion both darted towards him, their claws extended and teeth bared. Again he leapt out of the way of their attack, his injured leg trembling awkwardly as he landed, and took up a defensive position.

Hui charged into the room with her sword drawn, but the second horse demon was faster. The moment she cleared the doorway she had to go tumbling away from a dart of fire it shot at her. She didn't quite make it, and the flames burned through her sleeve and licked at her skin. She dropped her weapon, batting at the fire before it could spread, then leapt away from a second shot.

And away from her sword.

She didn't dare attack it with her bare hands, and demons were immune to magic. Seeing no other choice, she made a running leap, barely missing another fireball attack, and snatched her sword up off the floor.

Feeling somewhat reassured with the familiar weight of her weapon in her hand, she dodged behind one of the many pillars that ringed the outer edge of the room and tried to regroup.

It didn't take long for Lienn to finish off her horse demon, but even that short combat had left her hands red and blistered, her sword a molten fire in her grasp. A quick glance showed Sky fighting off two drooling rat demons and Hui carefully evading another flaming horse.

Sliding her hot weapon into its sheath, she bolted across the room and landed a solid kick to the back of a bleeding rat demon. It slammed face-first into a pillar and did not rise.

She flipped behind the second rat and glanced over its grey-furred head at Sky. "I've got it. Go help Hui," she ordered.

Sky nodded and leapt away from his adversary, who turned its beady gaze on Lienn. Clenching her wounded hands into fists, she lit into the little demon.

It only took a moment to for Sky to see Hui's dilemma. She was leading the horse demon on a merry chase, staying just out of the way of its fire powers, but the moment she tried to attack it she would be immolated. He, on the other hand, was at the demon's back and had not been noticed.

He darted in at an angle that would ensure Hui spotted him and dove at the creature from behind. Both his swords plunged into the demon's back, and it roared in fury and agony. His hands caught fire and he jumped back, leaving his swords imbedded in the creature's back as he swatted his hands painfully against his vest. He looked up as the demon turned to face him, but Hui darted over and cut its legs out from under it. Wincing as he yanking his swords free, Sky stabbed the creature mercilessly through the neck as it flailed.

Before he could even catch his breath, the demon's body exploded in a blazing maelstrom that blew both him and Hui off their feet.

Sky grunted as he landed hard on his back, then propped himself up on an elbow to look around. There was no sign of the other horse demon, so he had to assume that Lienn had already dispatched it, and he glanced to his friend just in time to see her strike down the final rat demon.

He lay back on the floor with a sigh of relief, then carefully cradling his wounded hands, he rose to his feet just as the ladies reached him.

"Are you okay?" Lienn asked, glancing worriedly at his hands.

"A little singed, but I'm all right," he replied. "You?"

"About the same," she answered, displaying her own blistered fingers.

He winced sympathetically and turned to Hui. Her hands looked a little red, but the wide scorched patch on her sleeve and black-crusted skin beneath was more worrying. "Let's see if Kang's ointment is as good as he said." He reach for the pouch, only to find his fingers too inflamed to undo the delicate laces.

"Let me," Hui said as she reached for his baldric. From the look on her face, her hands were paining her – at least a little – but it only took a moment before the pouch was open in her grasp. Carefully, Hui dipped her fingers into the pouch and withdrew them. "What the…?"

The ointment was a bright, flaming red.

"Red silk grass, maybe?" Lienn suggested. "I know students at school used poultices made from it when they were badly injured in practice."

"Possibly," Hui hedged, then with a delicate touch, began smoothing a thin layer of the salve onto Lienn's blistered palm.

"It's cool!" Lienn exclaimed in surprise. "Oh, that's good! Kang wasn't kidding about pain relief…" She let out a deep sigh of relief as Hui coated her ruined hands, then experimentally flexed her fingers. "Well, it certainly feels better."

Sky offered Hui his own damaged hands and his sigh joined Lienn's. "Much better," he agreed.

It only took a few moments for Hui to treat Sky's burns, then her own. By then, Lienn was examining her fingers with great interest.

"It's hard to tell through all the red, but I think my burns have almost healed," she noted. "The blisters are already gone. I guess Kang really knew what he was talking about."

"I'll admit, this time he came through," Sky agreed. "So now what?"

"It might be best to rest a bit, give the ointment a little more time to work before going any further," Hui suggested

"I was thinking the same thing," Lienn said. "I'd rather not face an opponent like Gao until I'm sure I can hold my sword properly."

"We may as well look around while we're here," Sky suggested.

"Still looking for the treasure chamber?" Lienn asked knowingly.

"Think of it as… compensation for the inconvenience of being taken prisoner." He grinned. "Besides, Gao's a criminal; better his wealth should fund _our_ cause than _his_."

"Just this once, I'm inclined to agree with the thief," Hui said. "Better we should take it than let the Guild come and pilfer it after Gao's dead."

Grinning victoriously, Sky turned and pointed to a curious looking pedestal a short ways away, but as he stepped toward it, the door on the far side of the room burst open.

Behind them, three of Gao's pirates dropped down from their hiding place among the ceiling's support beams, while two more came running through the now-open door. And following them…

Hui groaned. "He has an ogre…"

Twice the height of a man and three times the width, the fur-covered ogre had a pointed, beak-like nose and large horns that sprouted from either side of its head. It carried a club that was almost as large as an adult human, and its mouth looked big enough to crack a person's skull like a walnut.

Lienn drew her sword, which had cooled considerably but was still warm to the touch, and found that the pressure on her palm was no more than a minor ache, one she could easily ignore. Which was a good thing since there was no choice but to use her weapon; an ogre's hide was too thick to be wounded by bare-fisted attacks.

She adjusted her grip on the sword so that it wouldn't aggravate her raw hand and glanced at her companions. "I'll distract the ogre; you take care of the others."

That was easier said than done. Given its size, she had expected the creature to be slow and clumsy, which it was. It made up for those deficiencies, however, by simply lumbering through the battle swinging it's enormous club in powerful arcs with little-to-no regard for who was underfoot. As a result, both they and guards were forced to go tumbling out of its way, hoping that its gaze didn't turn in their direction.

In a flash of inspiration, Lienn flipped high over the heads of two of the guards, putting them directly between her and the intellectually-impaired ogre. She suddenly wished that there had been time for Hui to begin her magical training; a fireball would have been handy right about then. But she didn't really need to do any damage; she just had to get its attention.

Tugging the slipper off her left foot, she flung it with all her might at the ogre's head. The look of surprise on its face was almost comical, until it roared in fury and came thundering towards her. But she'd achieved her goal; with nowhere to run, the two pirates were trampled as she sprinted away from the pursuing ogre.

What proceeded to occur could only be described as organized chaos. The remaining four pirates were left taking desperate swings at Hui and Sky while trying to stay as far away from the ogre as possible – which wasn't easy since Lienn kept leading the beast back into the fray and her companions persisted in herding their opponents into the creature's path. However, it wasn't long before the pirates had fallen – one to Sky's blades, one to a well-placed fireball from Hui, and the other two to the still-rampaging ogre.

Without any other distractions, the trio found it easy enough to slay the creature, dodging in and out of its reach, delivering swift but damaging strikes to its hulking limbs. At one point, Hui failed to dodge quite fast enough, and her hip was clipped by the swinging club, but when the beast lay dead, that was the worst of their injuries.

"Anyone else?" Sky asked, his eyes searching the rafters for any other surprises.

"No, I think if there were they would have turned up by now," Hui replied.

Lienn nodded and sheathed her sword. "Do you think it's safe to rest here?"

"For a few moments, only," Hui said. "It would be best if we were out of here by sunup – if we can manage it."

Lienn nodded again and, retrieving the shoe she'd thrown, glanced around the room. It was large and mostly empty – particularly in the middle. There were a few barrels and baskets, a couple of crates along one wall, but it didn't feel like a storage chamber. There were also a few bookstands and some contraptions that would not have looked out of place in Kang's workshop. "What do you think this room is for, anyway?"

"It's the launch room," Sky answered and directed her gaze upward.

Hanging from the ceiling was what could only be Kang's flying machine. The main body appeared to be made of bamboo, giving it an amber color, and six, spindly black legs protruded from the bottom to support it. The "head" was also black and sported a strange nozzle about the length of her arm that might have been some sort of weapon. The wings were thin and light – perhaps made of some sort of treated parchment or fabric – and arched gracefully back from the body, while the tail had been cut in a stylized shape reminiscent of curling flames.

She blinked. "It really_ does_ look like a mosquito."

"Stand back," Hui instructed. She stood at what appeared to be some kind of control panel. She waited until Lienn and Sky joined her, then pulled a lever. With a crash that shook the entire room, the Amber Mosquito dropped from the ceiling, landing steadily on its spindly legs.

"Wow…" Lienn marveled.

Then, suddenly, a burst of energy shot from the flyer's nozzle and blasted open a large door on the far side of the room.

The trio stared.

"That's one way to open a door," Hui remarked dryly.

Sky grinned. "You don't suppose that was the immovable door to the treasure chamber that Kang mentioned?"

"I'm sure you're going to find out for us," Lienn teased, following a step behind as he headed for the now-open doorway.

On the other side they found yet another cave, this one blocked by a strange, grated gate. Sky found a conspicuous chain nearby and gave it a good pull; the gate was lifted toward the ceiling with a low creak.

It was the treasure chamber all right. The cavern was about half the size of the launch room and filled with all manner of valuables – dozens of chests, large urns, vases and cabinets. Sky's eyes were as wide as saucers as he moved toward the nearest pile of containers.

"Don't move," Hui hissed, grabbing Sky by the arm and giving a hard yank backward.

"What's—"

"Keep your voice down," the soldier scolded quietly, her eyes fixed on the far side of the cave.

Lienn followed her gaze and swallowed hard. The rumors about the elephant demon weren't just rumors.


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Big apologies, everyone. I thought I'd uploaded this before the holidays, but... yeah, not so much. REALLY sorry. :(

And while I'm making apologies, figure I may as well make this one in advance. There will be a delay on Chapter 8. I totally blame Bioware. They just had to make The Old Republic so damned addictive...

* * *

Disclaimer: _Jade Empire_ still belongs to Bioware. Do you think they'd give it to me if I asked _really_ nicely?

_**Chapter 7**_

For a long moment, the trio simply stared.

The elephant demon was massive, even bigger than the ogre. It stood upright, its hulking limbs almost as large as Lienn's whole body, its two tusks each as long as one of her legs. It simply stood there, either unaware or uncaring of their presence, and though it didn't give off the sense of pure evil that the horse demons had, she certainly wouldn't want to see it angry.

"Just back away slowly," Hui murmured, tugging at Sky's arm as she inched toward the gate.

"But…" His eyes shifted to the assorted chests and he fairly whimpered in misery.

"_Now," _the soldier hissed. "Before it notices us."

Seeing her point, Lienn caught the thief's other arm and between the two of them they were able to tow him back out to the launch room.

The moment they released him, he rounded on Hui. "I thought you were on my side! You agreed that we should clean Gao out if we got the chance."

"I still do," Hui countered. "But there are smarter ways of going about it than throwing ourselves at an opponent we can't defeat. Gao most likely summoned the demon himself; he wouldn't risk it showing loyalty to anyone else. So what do you think is going to happen when Gao dies?"

"The spell will break?" Lienn offered.

The older woman nodded decisively. "Exactly. And most likely the elephant demon will either return to whatever plane it was summoned from or, at the very least, its compulsion to guard Gao's treasure chamber will vanish."

"Leaving us free to loot the chamber without a fight," Sky realized.

"Hopefully. And even if the demon does still insist on fighting us, we won't be any worse off than we are right now," Hui concluded, "but it's worth the risk of waiting."

Resigned, Sky nodded. "You're right. Better to avoid that fight if we can and save our strength for Gao." He paused, looking at his female companions pointedly. "But we_ are _coming back."

"We have to come back here for the flyer anyway," Lienn pointed out. "We can spare a few minutes for you to liberate Gao's treasure."

Hui nodded agreement. "Good. Now, let's take a quick look around this room, see if we can find anything useful before we move on."

They split up, Sky opening some crates and barrels while Hui rummaged through some baskets.

Lienn wandered over to the bookstand, curious if there was anything useful. She found a book on the history of flight and some crumbling sheets of parchment that were almost illegible. They had been torn from a book – a diary by the looks of it – and while the pages were old and damaged, they appeared to have been carefully protected and kept together. Curious, she began scanning one of the passages.

…_in his ravings, my husband talked of madmen with eyes of metal and a strange island in the skies. His words frightened me, but none more than when he clutched my arm, suddenly lucid. "It's the tiger," he said, fever burning in his eyes. "The tiger feeds on the stone of the cow, torn from the bovine's innards. All but the cogs are watching… waiting and active… waiting for the tiger to feed." After his recovery, my husband remembered nothing of his journeys or of his ravings, except one…_

_Ravings, indeed,_ she thought, but as she was about to put the pages back where she'd found them, she paused. There was something odd about them. They were old, but obviously cared for, almost like they were part of some important secret. Why else would such a thing be kept in this hive of thieves and miscreants? But on the other hands, if they were valuable, why would they just be lying around where anyone could take them?

_Maybe I'm making too much of this,_ she thought. _It's possible that they just haven't gotten around to throwing them out. They certainly sound like the ravings of a madman…_

Of course, now she had access to a self-proclaimed madman, and it wasn't as though the papers took up much space.

Curiosity getting the better of her, she folded the sheets and tucked them into her sleeve; the ribbons around her wrist held them secure. She'd show them to Kang later and see if he could make sense of them.

Nodding decisively, she joined her friends on the other side of the room. "Find anything useful?" she asked.

"Oh yes," Sky replied, his tone dark. "Come have a look at this."

Lienn walked over and stepped close, looking over his shoulder at the stack of parchment he'd found. They appeared to be some sort of transaction records.

"According to these, the slaving operation here goes beyond Gao. The Lotus Assassins are his primary buyers," Sky explained as Hui joined them.

The soldier frowned. "Didn't Kang say the Lotus Assassins who took Li took a number of other people as well?"

Slowly, Lienn nodded. "I think he did. So the twenty or so we rescued are the ones the Assassins didn't want?"

"Or maybe they're new arrivals," Sky suggested with concern. "Either way, it begs the question: what would the Lotus Assassins need with so many slaves?"

"My first thought is to work on the Wall, but they wouldn't need a consistent supply of prisoners for that – only enough to replace the ones who had died. And unless they've taken to killing them for sport, they wouldn't need that many in their fortress…" Hui shook her head. "This is… troubling."

"Could Kang know?" Lienn asked. "I know he doesn't really seem to be all there, but he may have overheard something."

The soldier nodded agreement. "Perhaps." She glanced towards the door through which they'd entered. "I'm going to go ask him. Why don't you two see what else you can turn up."

"Actually," Sky said, "it might not be a bad idea to have Kang and Pinmei come wait at the flyer, now that the way is clear."

After a long moment, Hui agreed. "That might be best. We may have to leave this place in a hurry." With that, she headed back the way they'd come.

Sky and Lienn returned to their search but found little that would be of use. Within moments, they were interrupted by a cheerful cry of, "Daddy!" as Pinmei came racing in and nearly tackled her father.

Lienn glanced up long enough to smile, seeing Hui and Kang enter at a much more sedate pace, and then removed the top of a wicker basket to find…

"Food," she declared, pulling out a handful of buns. "And plenty of it."

"Thank goodness," Sky said, deftly catching the two buns she tossed him and offering one to his daughter. "Slowly," he admonished as Pinmei took a huge bite from the doughy roll. "If you don't eat it slowly you'll get sick." The girl nodded up at him, her cheeks filled almost to bursting.

Hui came over to inspect their find as Lienn took a bun for herself.

"Not a lot of variety," the soldier noted as she too took a bun and bit into it. "Mostly bread, a bit of dried meat, but it'll hold us for a while if need be." Nodding approvingly, she re-covered the basket and balanced it against her hip, setting it down near the flyer. "We should take it with us when we go."

Lienn nodded, then glanced toward Kang, who was puttering around his flyer. "Kang?"

"Busy busy, no time for chatty chatty," the inventor declared and proceeded to ignore her.

She glanced to Hui.

"He didn't know anything," the soldier informed her. "I don't think he notices anything that isn't related to his inventions."

Lienn shrugged. She was disappointed but not particularly surprised. "So, what now?"

Cautiously, Hui walked to the door through which the ogre had entered and looked up. "I think we're almost at the top." She looked anxiously at her companions. "We should hurry. The sky is growing lighter; I think it's nearly sunrise."

Sky nodded decisively and turned to his daughter. "Pinmei, you stay in here with Kang. You don't follow me and you don't go into that room," he pointed to the treasure chamber. "It's very dangerous in there."

"I'll be good, Daddy," she promised.

"That's my girl. We'll be back soon." He popped the last of his roll into his mouth and motioned towards the door. "Let's finish this."

The trio headed up the next set of ramps, eyes peeled for any sign of opposition. It quickly became apparent, however, that their caution was unnecessary. There was no one on the long ramp upward, and as Hui had noted, they were nearly at the top.

The early morning light was dim, but it was still easy to see that the pinnacle of the pagoda was far better appointed than the lower levels. There was an intricately-carved, red-lacquered railing that appeared as decorative as it was functional. The walls were of paneled mahogany, and even the red pillars – displayed prominently throughout the architecture of the entire complex – seemed better-carved and polished up here.

"Still no guards," Hui noted. "Do you think they're inside with Gao?"

"Would you want any of this rabble in your room while you slept?" Lienn asked rhetorically.

Sky chuckled. "A fair point. Traps then?"

"Maybe," Hui agreed. "Can you...?"

Sky nodded silently and then crept to the top of the ramp. The women watched as he cautiously slunk his way along the walkway around the structure, maintaining a careful distance from the walls. He briefly disappeared around the back, only to reappear on the far side moments later.

He stepped close to a section of paneling directly opposite the ramp, inspecting it while taking care not to actually touch it, then beckoned his companions to join him.

"This is the door," he murmured quietly as they approached. "These four panels fold inward to create an entrance. They're not locked, and I can't see any traps."

Hui frowned. "No guards, no traps, not even a lock on the door… Either Gao has put the fear of the gods themselves into his followers or he's arrogant beyond all measure," she muttered.

"Or possibly both," Sky agreed.

"If we're careful, and very quiet, we might be able to avoid a fight," the soldier murmured.

"I'll do it," Sky offered. "I have the best chance of getting through the room without waking him – there could be traps on the other side."

Lienn realized what they meant just as Hui was nodding her agreement. "Wait, you mean to just kill him in his bed? We're not even going to give him a chance to defend himself?"

Hui and Sky exchanged a perplexed glance.

"Lienn, sometimes one has to make hard decisions in battle," Hui explained neutrally. "Gao is an adversary we may not be able to defeat in combat. If we can avoid taking that chance, we should do it."

"It doesn't seem very honorable," the younger woman complained.

"Maybe it's not," Sky said, "and if Gao had shown he possessed any sense of honor whatsoever, I might feel badly about that, but he hasn't. He abducts women and children, tortures and sells them, preying on anyone who isn't strong enough to defend themselves. And I doubt that anyone he's sold into slavery would care whether he was given an honorable death, just so long as he wasn't able to hurt anyone else ever again."

Lienn frowned. There was no arguing the man's complete lack of morals; she'd seen that same behavior in his son often enough. But she'd been taught that there was a difference between defeating an adversary in combat and murdering them in cold blood. The idea of killing Gao in his sleep seemed far too close to the second option for her liking.

"Facing Gao in battle could mean the death of one or all of us," Hui added. "Are you willing to risk that if you don't have to?"

Slowly, the young Spirit Monk shook her head. Sky and Hui had already endangered themselves to help her; she couldn't risk their lives any more than she already had. Especially when doing so would condemn Kang and Pinmei, who waited below. Perhaps Hui was right; this could just be the first of many difficult decisions she would have to make.

"Let's just get this over with," she conceded reluctantly.

Sky nodded and reached for the door panel…

And a fiery explosion blew all three of them backward.

Lienn's breath left her in a rush as she was thrown into the railing, the lacquered wood driving into her midsection. She gasped and choked and swallowed hard as her abused stomach heaved. Breathing deeply, she tried to right herself, but only succeeded in toppling over and landing on her backside. She took a few deep, even breaths, then used the rail for support as she pulled herself to her feet.

She glanced around for her companions. Hui lay unconscious on the walkway, most likely having hit her head on the railing as she fell, and Sky…

Where was Sky?

Fearing the worst, Lien hung over the banister, gazing downward… and let out a deep sigh of relief. Sky had apparently not been knocked over the side as she'd fear, but rolled down the ramp and was now jogging back up to join her.

She was about to check on Hui when the panel doors were thrown open and an enraged figure appeared on its threshold.

Gao the Greater turned his furious gaze on her, his rotund form filling the doorway. "You dare intrude on my private sanctum? Fools! It's not yet even dawn! How many times must I tell you…?" His eyes narrowed as he seemed to see her for the first time. "Wait, you're not one of my servants. I know you. You are one of Master Li's students! You… you're the one that Gao told me about! The one that we captured!"

"That's the trouble with taking prisoners who can fight back," Sky pointed out as he arrived at Lienn's side. "Eventually they will."

"To be fair, it's possible mediocrity just runs in the family," Lienn suggested, shooting a scornful glance at their captor.

"How dare you!" Gao bellowed. "My Gao is every bit as talented as you, and then some! But that was never good enough for Master Li; you were always his prize pupil. Well, damn you and that school! My Gao may have wanted to finish you himself, but I won't have him sully his hands with such filth. I know the styles your broken old master taught you, and I know how to beat them! In my son's name, I swear that your death will be both slow and painful!"

Gao planted his feet and spread his hands. Smoke began to drift upward from around his feet, and Lienn swore as she realized what was happening. With a fierce lunge, she tackled Sky; they hit the floor hard, inches from where Hui had fallen, just in time to see the slim form of a dragon curl itself around Gao's body.

But as great gouts of fire spewed forth, what Lienn had mistaken for _Dire Flame_ magic was revealed to be something much worse. For out of the flames stumbled two of the dreaded horse demons.

Gao's malevolent smile was lost on his adversaries as they literally leapt into action. Apparently having the same thought, both Sky and Lienn jumped away from Hui's prone form, fearing the soldier might accidentally be set alight if the battle remained too close to her. Sky made a great leap backwards, around the side of the outer wall, while Lienn tumbled past Gao into his private chamber.

As he pulled his blades, Sky was relieved to see the nearest demon lumber past Hui, completely fixated on him. He knew from their previous experience that it was best to stay behind the creature whenever possible, but to do so now would lead it right back to the unconscious soldier. So, seeing little choice, he danced backward, taunting the creature into following him.

Lienn gave the room no more than a cursory glance as she rolled to standing and drew her sword. It seemed to be an ornate bedchamber combined with an office. That was all she had time to note before she was forced to dodge a fireball from the horse demon. The flames spattered harmlessly against the room's far wall, and Lienn came to the quick conclusion that there must be some sort of protective magic on the place to prevent the furnishings from igniting. However, from the look of alarm on Gao's face, she suspected there was something in here he didn't want getting caught in the crossfire.

Then the sorcerer sent a fireball of his own her way and she was once more focused on the battle.

She leapt into the air and realized a moment too late that her trajectory put her directly between the demon and Gao. She landed and immediately rolled to the right, and was pleased to see that it was too late for the sorcerer to change the angle of his immolation attack; as a result, the flames spewed futilely at his own summoned demon. The horse was immune to fire, and thus took no damage from the attack, but it did give Lienn the opportunity to deliver several sweeping gashes to Gao's exposed side.

Once he deemed he was isolated enough, Sky began to attack his opponent in earnest. Even knowing what was coming, he was unprepared for the searing pain as his swords slashed viciously at the demon's back and his hands ignited. The beast slowly shifted to face him, and with thoughts of Kang's excellent salve foremost in his mind, he flipped over the demon's head and this time aimed for the back of the creature's neck; he didn't know if that would do any critical damage, but he figured it was worth a shot.

Unfortunately, the attack didn't seem to faze the creature, which shrieked and shifted to face him, so apparently they didn't have the kind of weak points one would expect from a living being. Which meant destroying it was probably the result of simple accumulated damage.

With that in mind, Sky slipped behind the creature once more and, bracing himself, drove both blades in all the way to the hilt. Gritting his teeth against his burning fingers, he dropped to his knees, taking the blades with him. The demon screamed in anguish as it was ripped open from shoulder to waist, and Sky finally released his hold on the swords as he was blown back in the death-explosion. He grimaced, gritting his teeth as he slid painfully along the pagoda floor.

For a long moment he simply lay there, panting. The pain was excruciating, but in the distance he could still here the sounds of battle and knew that Lienn must be putting up a good fight.

Slowly, awkwardly, he pushed himself to sitting, then, with his forearms braced on the outer railing, up to standing. He glanced at his swords, lying on the floorboards where they'd fallen in the blast, but one look at his ruined hands told him there was no point him retrieving them; he doubted he could grasp one well enough to sheath it, never mind fight with it.

He stumbled around to the front of the structure and was relieved to see Hui starting to come to. The soldier had the foggy look of someone who'd just awoken, but the fearful look in her eyes told him that the battle had not gone unnoticed.

Carefully, he knelt by her side and she looked up at him in confusion.

"Gao caught us," he explained quickly. "You were knocked out. Lienn's…" He glanced to the young Spirit Monk and noted, thankfully, that she was still holding her own against both the demon and Gao. He displayed his scorched hands and looked at the soldier helplessly. "Can you…?"

Hui nodded, shaking her head to clear it and drawing herself to her feet.

Lienn landed a glancing blow on the horse demon and danced away before she could be too badly burned. Her hands throbbed, but by alternating between the demon and Gao, she seemed to have spread the pain out enough to make it manageable. Unfortunately, this meant that she was only able to whittle away at her opponents' defenses, and while they were both clearly hurting, they were nowhere near incapacitated.

She skirted a dagger of ice that Gao hurled at her, slashing at the sorcerer's legs along the way, and felt a fierce swell of joy as she spotted Hui advancing on the horse demon from behind.

With new resolve, Lienn tumbled away from the demon – leaving it to the soldier – and focused her attention on Gao.

As she quickly found, Gao's magics might be powerful at range, but in melee combat, they were a hindrance, leaving him open to all manner of attacks. After receiving a deep gash in his tubby midsection and another in his left thigh, he apparently came to the same conclusion and switched to a bare-fisted style she was unfamiliar with.

But for all his bragging, his movements were slow and ponderous – and no match for Lienn's lightning-quick reflexes. She swept out in a devastating whirlwind attack that he only partially managed to block, then tumbled away before he could retaliate. As Gao tried to reorient himself on her, she lashed out again, this time from the other side.

By now, Gao was a bloody mess, but still, he fought on. Falling back on his magic, Lienn spotted the instant he prepared to immolate her with _Dire Flame_. But that power took a few moments to summon, and she seized the opportunity.

Flipping into position behind him, she drove her sword through the back of his neck.

There was no scream, no explosion. The power around Gao simply faded as he slumped to the ground.

A moment later, the horse demon – its summoner vanquished – was consumed in a pillar of fire and disappeared.

Lienn and Hui simply looked at each other; after such a momentous battle, it almost seemed anticlimactic.

"You alright?" Lienn asked.

"I will be," the older woman assured. "I could use something for this headache, and perhaps some of Kang's ointment," she displayed her somewhat blistered hands, "but I'll be fine."

Lienn nodded in relief as Sky came hobbling in, looking much worse for wear. To her surprise, Pinmei was at his side, her little arm stretched around his waist, and while he'd put a comforting arm around her shoulder, Lienn noticed he was careful not to touch her with his damaged hand.

The thief's eyes immediately settled on Gao the Greater's corpse. After a long moment, he nodded and looked up at Lienn. "I wanted nothing more than to see that man die. Thank you," he said sincerely.

"I'm surprised," Hui noted. "I got the impression you wanted to do the job yourself."

"It's true, I had hoped he would die at my hands," Sky admitted, "but I'm not the only one Gao's brought suffering to. Somehow it seems fitting that Lienn should take vengeance for all of us."

Lienn looked down at her captor's remains and shook her head a little. "Was this about vengeance? I thought it was about making sure that Gao never hurt us or anyone else ever again."

Sky looked away and nodded a little, seeming slightly ashamed. "Perhaps you're right. I guess sometimes it's hard to see the big picture when you've been wronged so personally." His eyes were on his daughter.

"Well, either way, it's done," Hui declared in a no nonsense manner. "Here," she said to Sky, pulling out the pouch with Kang's burn solution, "let me see your hands."

As Hui began layering salve onto Sky's fingers, Kang came bouncing cheerfully into the room.

"Hey, ha, ha! Much kicking and such! Really gets the blood flowing! And explosions. Lots of blood flowing from those, too." Seeming completely oblivious to the plight of the injured fighters surrounding him, as usual, he turned to Lienn. "The Amber Mosquito will cross the sky at your whim… for a short way. We can make it as far as that nearby town, Tien's Landing. I know the winds between here and there. Mostly. I mostly know the winds. It will be fine."

"What do you mean, 'know the winds'?" Lienn asked.

"Strong winds can crash any flyer if the pilot doesn't have a wind map," Hui explained as she treated a few minor burns of her own. "The map shows which air currents are safe for the flyer to ride. You can't navigate the skies without one."

"Not safely anyway," Sky added. "If you intend to go after your master, you'll need a wind map to the Imperial City."

"Exactly," Kang declared. "Without it, _boom!_ Short trip."

Lienn considered for a moment. "Gao's pirates have a whole fleet of flyers. Shouldn't there be some wind maps around here somewhere?"

Hui nodded slowly. "There would have to be. The Lotus Assassin have complete control over who receives the maps, so they're very valuable." She glanced over to the office section of the suite.

"No," Sky said, "if they're that valuable, they'll be in the treasure chamber."

Kang nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I saw you got the immovable door open. Well done! I'll leave the searching to you; I have to go make the Mosquito ready for some flying."

The inventor hurried out of the room and over to a lever in a small alcove off the outer walkway. As they followed, Kang pulled the lever, and far below them, the entire roof of the launch room folded open with a massive groan.

Obviously far less impressed with that bit of engineering than the others, Kang then trotted back down the ramp to see to his flying machine.

Lienn, Sky, and Hui just looked at each other in bafflement.

Lienn shook her head. "All right, why don't you two go see what you can find in the treasure chamber. I'll take a quick look around here and then join you."

Sky nodded and turned towards the ramp, not quite as eager to pillage Gao's valuables as he had been – Lienn had to assume it was a result of his injuries – but obviously not willing to pass the opportunity up. His daughter went bouncing after him, and with a sober glance, Hui followed.

When Lienn turned back to Gao's room, her eyes automatically landed on the growing pool of blood surrounding Gao the Greater's body.

She stared.

She had killed him.

Even after all his evils, his unchecked cruelties, she couldn't help but feel guilty.

She had been the instrument of his death.

She wasn't sure why this particular death bothered her. Gao had had no redeeming qualities so far as she could see. And if she'd remained his prisoner, she would have been tortured, used, and either sold or killed – and her companions with her; she had no doubt it was self-defense. The Jade Empire was well rid of him.

And yet, staring down at his lifeless body, it troubled her.

And she wondered: why him, why now? Was it because she knew him, knew his name, knew he had a son who would mourn him. Surely the bandits and pirates she'd killed had families too, but she'd hardly given them a second thought. And there were far more of them than there were of Gao; it seemed as though she'd left a trail of bodies in her wake ever since she'd left Two Rivers.

That thought snapped her back to her senses.

She had to rescue Master Li, and she had some sort of destiny to fulfill, but right now, she just wanted to go home. Home to Two Rivers. To talk to Dawn Star, and let her friend reassure her. She knew it was childish, but she just wanted someone to tell her that everything would be all right.

But she didn't have that luxury.

Stoically she stepped around the body and began rifling through Gao's personal effects. She found a heavy purse of silver, which she laced to her belt, then tossed in a few essence gems she found stashed in a drawer. She'd examine them later to determine their quality.

There were lots of papers scattered across a table, and she took a moment to skim over them. Invoices. Account records. A few communications from the Lotus Assassins, which she set aside to take with her.

She was about to toss the remaining papers away when two words jumped out at her.

_Two Rivers._

She grabbed the sheet and began reading as quickly as she could.

Her dread grew with each word, and suddenly something Gao the Lesser had said flashed across her mind.

"_Everything you have is already gone; my father has seen to that!"_

Snatching up the papers she'd collected, she turned and fled the room.

She raced down the ramp and into the launch room. Sky was just leaving the treasure chamber and Hui was loading the last basket of food into the flyer.

"Did you find the wind maps?" she demanded without preamble, bringing her companions up short.

Sky shot Hui an uneasy look. "Yes. Kang's examining them now, but we should be able to get to the Imperial City," he answered carefully.

"What about Two Rivers? Can we get there?"

"Why should we go there?" Hui asked.

In response, Lienn thrust the topmost sheet of parchment at her.

The soldier looked over the document, her expression grim. "Attack orders," she said aloud for Sky's benefit. Then she looked up at Lienn, her gaze solemn. "I know what you're thinking, but we can't help them."

"We have to!" Lienn insisted.

"These orders were most likely issued by the Lotus Assassins," Hui argued, "probably when they discovered Gao had captured Sun Li. That was almost a full day ago. Your village is already gone. I'm sorry."

"No!" Lienn argued, shaking her head in violent denial. "It's not too late! It _can't _be!"

"Why would the Lotus Assassins want Two Rivers destroyed?" Sky asked. "What's the point?"

"They would consider it Li's base of operations. That in itself is enough. But..." The soldier frowned, worried eyes focusing on Lienn. "Gao the Lesser was here. If he told them about Li's interest in you..."

A chill swept through Lienn's body. "They wouldn't destroy an entire village just to get to me." It was as much a question as a statement.

"To kill Sun Li's secret protégé?" Hui offered. "They most assuredly would. The Lotus Assassins would sacrifice a dozen such villages to end the threat you pose to the Emperor. Which is why you _cannot_ go to Two Rivers."

"No, that just makes it more important that I _do_ go!" their young leader countered. "I can't let all those people die because of me!"

"You can't help them, Lienn!"

"I have to try!" Turning to their mad-genius, she asked, "Can you get us to Two Rivers? Do the wind maps show the way?"

"Yes..." Kang answered, though his tone was less than confident. "Yes, I think the Amber Mosquito can take us there. And I know a nice safe landing place outside of town. Very unlikely we'll crash. Very unlikely."

"Then we're going," Lienn declared, leaving no room for argument.

That didn't stop Hui, however. "We can't. Your master is running out of time, and before we can rescue him we have to return to Tien's Landing and find the amulet fragment."

"Forget the amulet! It doesn't matter."

"The amulet is vital–"

"Well, it's also lost under several thousand gallons of water and we have no way to get to it!" Lienn cried. "But the people of Two Rivers are in danger _now_, and I'm going to save them! So you can either help me, or get out of my way!"

Hui looked helplessly to Sky for support.

He glanced down at his daughter and shook his head. "Sorry, but I'd do the same in her place."

The soldier sighed in defeat. "Very well. We'll go to Two Rivers. But you should prepare yourselves for the worst."

* * *

A silent figure slipped out of the shadows of the launch room and turned his pale, almost gray-skinned face upward, toward the billowing gray exhaust trail left by the stolen flyer. His mistress would not be pleased.

And when his mistress was displeased, people died.

Inquisitor Lim, newly appointed liaison from the Lotus Assassins, let his dark gaze wander the launch room. The signs of battle were everywhere, just as they had been in the lower levels of the fortress; he could only assume that the operation was a total loss. All he could do now was try to gather enough information about what had happened here to buy his life.

He was like a ghost crossing the room, his steps silent; the crimson and black silk of his robes didn't so much as rustle, nor did the gold plates of the armor he wore over them creak in his wake. Even a missing eye, hidden behind a rust-colored scarf that covered half his face, didn't impair his movements.

Stealth was the way of the Inquisitors.

Swiftly and silently he made his way to the pinnacle of the complex, his one good eye taking in the gruesome scene dispassionately. Then he turned back the way he'd come and swept down the ramps, through the launch room, and into the madman's workshop.

He walked straight to the communicator the mad one had built. It was a large urn made of gray stone, elaborate designs carved into its surface. At the top, where the urn should have opened, large green, multi-faceted crystals grew; from their center rose a tall metal rod, the top shaped like a mushroom: the projector. From the base of the urn jutted a large horn-shaped protrusion that allowed for sound.

He stood before the contraption and bowed low.

Almost immediately, the crystals began to glow and the image of his mistress materialized. Big as life, her feet were planted among the crystals, and blue energy wafted about her transparent figure.

"Grand Inquisitor Jia," he intoned, glancing up.

His commander appeared as she always did. Elaborate crimson robes were bound by an armored plate of black and gold around her middle. Armored gauntlets bound her wrists and armored boots protected her legs below her billowing black pants. Her face, as always, was hidden behind a theatrical mask: a white, oval-shaped face with tiny openings for eyes, a thin, straight nose, and a small, pursed mouth of red. Stylized black eyebrows curled unnaturally high, and below them the face and cheeks were stained red, fading lighter and lighter until it reached the chin, where it once again became white. The mask was framed by ebony black hair bound back from the face and decorated with heavy ornaments of solid gold.

He had never seen her real face and doubted that anyone had. At least not anyone who had survived the encounter.

She gazed down at him with an air of disapproval. Of course, disapproval was the only emotion the mask _ever_ seemed to convey.

"Report, Lim," she instructed without preamble, her voice just as cold and hard as the porcelain of her mask.

"I'm afraid I have bad news, mistress," Lim confessed, his voice nasally and obsequious. "I arrived at the fortress to find Gao dead and the slaves gone. The entire operation is a loss."

"All lost?" Jia demanded. "Fools! What about the new flyer?"

"Stolen. By the vigilantes who killed Gao, I believe. They took the mad inventor with them as well."

"How do you know this?"

Lim grimaced at the suspicion that laced her voice. "I watched them leave, mistress."

"And yet you made no effort to stop them?"

"It seemed... unwise, mistress, in light of what I overheard. They are searching for an amulet, which they believe to be hidden somewhere near Tien's Landing. One of them remarked that it was lost underwater; I suspect it can be found in the ruin of Old Tien's."

Lim watched his mistress carefully as she absorbed that news. The Lotus Assassins had spent years searching the Empire for some sort of special amulet. No one seemed to know exactly what it was or why it was important, but they all knew the finding of it would buy them great favor with Grand Inquisitor Jia. And – by extension – Death's Hand and the Emperor.

"Indeed..." Jia's tone was calculating. "You have done well to bring this to my attention. I assume these criminals are on their way to Tien's Landing as we speak?"

"No, mistress," Lim fawned. "There was some argument over their destination. They claimed to be going to a village called Two Rivers."

"Are they?" There was no mistaking the cold pleasure in her voice. "That simplifies things considerably."

"What is your will?"

"I will send troops to rendezvous with you at Tien's Landing. You are to find the amulet fragment and have it delivered to me personally. Then, when these vigilantes arrive to search for it, you are to destroy them, capture the mad inventor, and return him and the flyer to the Imperial City."

"I will not fail you," Lim groveled.

His leader's tone was unforgiving. "See that you don't."

* * *

The Amber Mosquito sailed across the sky, its puttering engine leaving a trail of smoke behind it.

Five people were squeezed into the tiny cockpit, all staring out the glass in anticipation of their arrival in Two Rivers. Kang was, as usual, quite cheerful and completely oblivious, humming a little tune as he steered his creation onward.

The other occupants weren't nearly so relaxed.

Hui was sitting beside Kang at the controls for the flyer's weapons; she was leaning forwards, searching the skies for any sign of Gao's returning fleet. Lienn sat behind her, hovering over the older woman's shoulder as she searched the countryside for familiar landmarks. Sandwiched between Lienn and Sky, who had seated himself behind their pilot, Pinmei's eyes were bright; the child didn't seem to understand why the adults were worried and spent her time admiring all the shiny controls Kang had installed in his machine.

The first sign of trouble arose when they entered a river valley. Tiny flecks in the distance, appearing to be large birds, caught Hui's eye and she grimaced.

"There, flyers," she observed, curling her fingers around the weapon controls. "You're sure these weapons work, Kang?"

"Of course they work. Do you think pirates would have me build them a ship with weapons that don't work?" the inventor argued.

"That wasn't exactly a 'yes'," Sky noted dryly.

"Well, this should make for an interesting test run," Hui muttered and opened fire on the flyer careening toward them.

A stream of tiny metal pellets spewed from the flyer's nozzle and tore apart the incoming ship's wing; it nose-dived toward the ground in a trail of smoke.

"See, I told you it would work," Kang bragged, but there was no reply as the other enemy flyers darted out of the cloud-cover and returned fire.

The atmosphere in the cockpit was reduced to tense silence. Kang concentrated on dodging the incoming projectiles while Hui focused on taking down as many of Gao's ships as she could.

The Mosquito lurched horribly; Sky and Lienn braced Pinmei between them as they were all nearly thrown from their seats.

"Don't let them hit us! I just finished this thing!" Kang yelped.

"Dodging is your job," Hui reminded him irritably. "I can only shoot what's in front of me... Oh no..." The last was muttered as two enormous flyers suddenly came sailing toward them. "Those large flyers can drop explosives. Don't let them get above us, Kang!"

At that, Kang pulled hard on the steering harness and the Amber Mosquito rose high into the air. "They won't be able to reach us at this height," the inventor declared. "They're too heavy."

"Bring us into a dive," Hui instructed.

Realizing what she had in mind, the mad genius dove toward the nearest of the flyers, Hui firing all the way. They traced a line from its nose to its tailfin and the flyer went down in a smoking ruin. They repeated the maneuver with the second flyer and it too was out of the fight.

"No more?" Hui mused, searching avidly for any stragglers as they cleared the relative safety of the valley. "The big ones must have been bringing up the rear."

"We're safe then?" Sky asked, carefully loosening the grip he had on his daughter.

"No..." Lienn murmured.

It took them all a moment to realize that she wasn't, in fact, answering Sky, and they followed her unwavering gaze to the landscape below.

Two Rivers was burning.


End file.
